Repitching high gravity beer on slightly less high gravity yeast cake.

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dougdecinces

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I wanted to brew 5 gallons of a 1.085 doppelbock in late winter and was trying to figure out the best way to build an adequate starter. I may have accidentally stumbled on a good method, but I want verification that this will work.

I was already going to brew a mild in a few weeks, but have decided to brew a small parti-gyle with 4 gallons of mild and 2 gallons of baltic porter. The porter would be ~ 1.070 which would give me plenty of yeast for the doppelbock, but I want to know if there is any danger in pitching a from a fairly high gravity yeast cake. I intentionally kept this on the low end for a Baltic Porter with the hope of not stressing out the yeast, but can go lower if need be.

FYI, I would use WY-2206.
 
This will work very well. 2206 has an alcohol tolerance up to 9%, so you shouldn't have stressed it out too much, and, as you point out, you will have plenty of yeast. My only suggestion would be to pitch the doppelbock shortly after removing the porter off the yeast cake, so your yeast has maximum viability.
 
Its not ideal to pitch on to a high grav yeast cake but you will probably be gtg.
 
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