richwerth

Recipes 

I'm going to brew a batch that has an OG of 1.087 in a 5 gallon batch.

The kit says use 1 pack of yeast. It is the 115th Dream kit from NB. I have read all over that people run into problems carbing in bottles.

Mr Malty says I need to use two packs of yeast. I have a starter going right now (stir plate) and an additional pack in the fridge. If I wanted to add the 2nd could I just step it up (after cold crashing) and add the 2nd pack in the process to get a 1 liter starter with 2 packs of yeast?

I'm a little nervous about the carb problem people have. This batch has 12 lb of syrup and 2lb of corn sugar.

ChessRockwell

Recipes 

What yeast are you using? Did you make a starter with a dry pack of Safale US-05? Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but I've read there's a reason you don't want to make starters with dry yeast, at least the Safale kind, can't remember them well enough to explain... Just rehydrate them. If you already made a starter with one of the dry packets, I'd pitch it and the other dry pack right from the beginning, don't add the other pack to the starter. I just brewed this one recently and pitched two packets rehydrated right from the beginning, it worked wonderfully and went from 1.087 to 1.015 after 1 month in primary. To avoid the carbonation problems I've read about, I'm just going to toss in another half a pack of yeast at bottling day.

If anyone else could chime in about why you don't make starters with Safale dry packs, or tell me I'm wrong, that might help...

samc

Recipes 

If you are using liquid yeast you need to create a starter large enough to grow up to the approx numbers Mr Malty recommends. Without checking the numbers I can tell you that a 1 liter starter is not going to get it done for a 1.087 wort. You need to read up on the step up starter process. One packet of liquid is fine if you do it right. This is an easier calculator for step ups http://www.yeastcalc.com/ .

And yes if you are using dry, then a starter is counterproductive. You would have been better to rehydrate and pitch 2 packs.