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abandonhope16 · 01-22-2013, 12:55 PM

So I'd like to try a lager kit from Northern Brewer and have some questions. It says to use a yeast starter, but the default yeast is Dry (at least I think it is) and I thought starters were done with liquid yeast? Any insight or tips would be most appreciated. Thanks!!
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/world-wide-lager-extract-kit.html

**stratslinger** · 01-22-2013, 01:01 PM

Typically, yeast starters are done with liquid yeast and not dry yeast because dry yeast is cheap enough that you can usually just buy another packet (or two) of the dry stuff and have enough to pitch the right amount. But for a lager, it's good to pitch you yeast when it's active, so it certainly can't hurt to make a starter, whether your yeast is dry or liquid.

Make sure to use a good pitching calculator like yeastcalc.com or the pitching calculator on mrmalty.com to figure out just how big a starter you should use. On both of those calculators, you'll have to specify that you're making a lager, then specify the expected OG of your beer, and the calculator will do the math from there and figure out the math for you. Mrmalty might be the easier on for a starter newbie - yeastcalc lets you get into some more advanced ideas like stepped starters, but you kind of need to understand a few concepts of what's going on in your starter to take advantage of that.

abandonhope16 · 01-22-2013, 01:31 PM

Interesting. I speculated a production date for this and it says 19 grams of yeast; so I could hypothetically just do a little under 2 packs of dry yeast then, rather than a starter? I assume rehydrating would be beneficial?
Thanks

JimRausch · 01-22-2013, 01:47 PM

I had nothing better to do while waiting for an appointment to show, so I went to NB- OG=1.049, dry yeast option is S-23, liquid is WY2042. Then I went to Mr.Malty and plugged in the #s. Says you should pitch 344 billion cells. Which with the dry is 2 packets(actually a little less than 2, but who wants to save a partial packet?). Liquid yeast without a starter it says would take 3.5 packets or if you make a starter, it should be 2.78liters.
Choice is yours. I've used s-23 a couple times in the past and pitched 2 packets- worked well. My last two lagers I used liquid and made starters. Also worked well. Have fun!

abandonhope16 · 01-22-2013, 01:55 PM

Great. That seems to confirm what I was reading. Since I'd be placing an order anyway, might as well just add the extra packet rather then looking into setting up a starter operation. Not that it looks hard or expensive; but I might as well keep it simple for now especially since I am using dry yeast. Thanks again.

**stratslinger** · 01-22-2013, 03:39 PM

Yeah, the two packets would probably be your best bet, and I'd rehydrate, were I in your shoes.

abandonhope16 · 01-31-2013, 06:46 PM

Alright, so I got around to attempting this today. I think I made a few mistakes and am wondering if I should be OK or if I can take corrective action.
First - I rehydrated at about 90degrees per what I've done with Ale yeast; so pretty sure I goofed.
Second - I pitched at about 68 b/c I couldnt get it any lower and I already started rehydrating so I had limited time and decided to pitch. Right now, I have it in the fermentation chamber set to get it to about 55.
Any tips/suggestions?

TIA

**Darwin18** · 01-31-2013, 07:28 PM

In hindsight, I usually pitch cold and then allow fermentation activity to bring the temperature up to my target. Your process isn't wrong though - just a suggestion for the future on my part.

**AndMan3030** · 01-31-2013, 07:36 PM

Rdwahhb

abandonhope16 · 02-06-2013, 10:56 PM

So this has been fermenting for almost a week now. There is still activity in the airlock, which I'm not used to seeing it go this long. Usually i only get a couple days of airlock activity....Does that indicate anything?
Im also thinking of doing a D rest, roughly when should I test to see if it's ready for it? I thought I read about 10 days, but that seems early.