Beer Forum

I really like the work JZ did on his pitch rate calculator. I'm ordering a large flask from B3 so I can finally put this knowledge to use.

My question is regarding the number of vials/packs needed.

The only Wyeast I can get around here is the smaller Propagator packs. When the calculator says only 1 vial/pack needed in a given volume starter, is it the same for Propagator packs?

If you look at mrmalty.com and go to the "yeast pitching rates and how to make starters" he explains the cell counts in the different liquid yeast packs.

Barry

That would lead me to believe I am seriously underpitching.

To be honest, I am totally unfamiliar with the Wyeast products, I use White Labs exclusivly, not because I feel there is anything at all wrong with Wyeast, its just whats readily available locally and at the closest online distributor to me. Saying that, as I understand it there are two sizes of wyeast and the small one is 15-18 million cells, which according to current thoughts would be seriously underpitching.
Time to fire up those starters, and just build it up to where you need it.
I don't make a beer anymore that doesn't either have a starter made for it or use slurry from my last batch. If you haven't done one before, you will wonder what took you so long as they are very easy and do wonders for your beer.

Barry

Thanks for the advice.

Yeah, I haven't use slurry from a prior batch yet. I'm not sure I brew often enough for that (right now I'm at a batch every three weeks).

I do make starters and that's what my question was about. If I'm making a starter from the small propagator packs, do I need to be using more packs? What's kinda sh$#y is that my LHBS sells the little packs at a higher price than other stores are selling the much larger packs. Perhaps I should switch back to White Labs.

The first time I made a starter with White Labs yeast my beer was fermenting in 6 hours. With the starters from propagator packs my lag time seems longer. I emailed Jamil directly, perhaps he can help me.

If it were me, I would step it up once. First starter with that small pack in a 500 ml starter,let it ferment out, then pour that into 1500 ml of wort to give you 2000ml, and go from there unless you are doing a real big beer.

Barry

hey, a batch every three weeks is pretty darn regular! Just sanitize a mason jar (boil, or soak in star-san) and save your slurry in it. When you are ready to brew your next batch, get that jar out of the fridge at the beginning of the brew day so it can warm up to pitching temperature. If it has been stored for more than a couple of weeks, I like to throw it in a 2L starter.

Brandt wrote:hey, a batch every three weeks is pretty darn regular! Just sanitize a mason jar (boil, or soak in star-san) and save your slurry in it.

Thanks Brandt! To understand this a little better, will I just scoop the sludge out of my fermenter after racking? Or is there a different process? My current batch has been fermenting for a couple days now.