Yeast "farming". Need help with calculations

I want to take a vial of white labs California ale yeast and create four times the original yeast cell population.

I am trying to figure out how to size a "starter" to do that. I won't actually use this as a starter. The plan it to basically have four vials of the original yeast.

Looking online, I can't figure out what the typical yeast cell population is in a vial of white labs.

I was hoping to do this calculation using the mr malty tool. But it doesn't give me the actual cell counts and the growth factor.

Maybe there is a better tool to use for this.

Edited

My "brewzor" calculator says with a may 1, manufacturer date, with 100 billion cell vial/pack, and a 1.040 starter wort on a stirplate, you would need to step up twice. The first would yield roughly 1.66 billion cells, and the second step up, with a 2 liter 1.040 wort on a stir plate, would yield a total of roughly 410 billion cells. I accept no responsibility for accuracy...your mileage may vary.

lud said:

My "brewzor" calculator says with a may 1, manufacturer date, with 100 billion cell vial/pack, and a 1.040 starter wort on a stirplate, you would need to step up twice. The first would yield roughly 1.66 billion cells, and the second step up, with a 2 liter 1.040 wort on a stir plate, would yield a total of roughly 410 billion cells. I accept no responsibility for accuracy...your mileage may vary.

Click to expand...

Few questions

1) is that 100 billion cells at the start assuming 100% viability?
2) what is the size of the first starter?

Sorry...size of first starter is 1.2 liter...but these calcs are based on a 100B cells pack, manufactured May 1st.

You'll need to find a yeast calculator that will determine viability based on manufacturer date and the date you want to do this project.

I know Wyeast smackpac's are 100B cells. I can't remember what Whitelabs are....

Have you thought about making slants from your "mother" yeast pack/vial?