Vessel for a Huge Starter

In my last two batches I have finally gotten into using starters and the resulting fermentation has been outstanding. I use a 4 liter flask and a homebuilt stirplate.

However, I want to brew a big beer where Mr. Malty's pitch calculator says that my starter needs to be 7 liters! What kind of vessel are you folks using to make that big of a starter? And is there any way to use a large vessel and still use a stirplate?

When the starter has to be 2 gallons, you may as well brew a 5 gallon batch of a smaller beer and pitch on the cake.

I brew 5 gal. 'starter brews' for the big Belgians. I usually wash the cake, save a couple of mason jars, and pitch the rest.

HairyDogBrewing said:

When the starter has to be 2 gallons, you may as well brew a 5 gallon batch of a smaller beer and pitch on the cake.

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+1 to that

This is what Mr. Beer fermenters are for.

Ditto, an english mild or bitter or anythingon that scale works great, plus you get an extra 5 gallons of beer out of it

Um, the problem i see with that is if you're brewing a big belgian beer, you'll be using belgian yeast. So if you wanted to brew a 5 gal starter beer, it'd have to be made with the same yeast, and i don't think an english bitter would taste good brewed with belgian yeast?

Bosium said:

Um, the problem i see with that is if you're brewing a big belgian beer, you'll be using belgian yeast. So if you wanted to brew a 5 gal starter beer, it'd have to be made with the same yeast, and i don't think an english bitter would taste good brewed with belgian yeast?

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Yeah but a simple Belgian Pale Ale would be a nice quaffer

Did you notice you can slid the scale up or down on mr malty so you can use more packs of yeast and make a smaller starter ?

Yes! I did see that...but in trying to conserve cash, I was hoping to make the starter with only 1 pack. BUT....I just might go ahead and use two to make the smaller starter. I don't get a chance to brew as often as I like, so brewing a smaller batch and pitching on that cake isn't an alternative. I really like using the stirplate....my last two batches did so well and the starter was done on a stirplate.

Thanks to all for your help!

you can always do a step up. Make a 4 liter starter let it finish, chill then decant make another 3/4 liter starter aerate then pitch the yeast.

What he said ^

That's only if you don't mind using a bunch of extract (which h'aint cheap, as you know)...brewing a "starter batch" is much more economical, because you get actual beer from it, rather than just dumping the spent starter liquid down the drain. Just make sure that the beer you brew first isn't very hoppy...the hops oils tend to coat the yeast cells and inhibit growth and fermentation, so the more hops you have in the first batch, the less viable that cake will be. Also, don't make something that's darker and stronger in flavor than the second beer...in other words, if you're making a pilsner for the second beer, then don't brew a stout as your "starter" batch.

springer said:

you can always do a step up. Make a 4 liter starter let it finish, chill then decant make another 3/4 liter starter aerate then pitch the yeast.

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Springer - you mean make the second 3 liter starter in the same vessel as the first? (decant the first batch and add the second starter right on top of that yeast, correct?)

Best bet would probably be getting another pack of yeast and making a substantially smaller starter.

jkarp said:

This is what Mr. Beer fermenters are for.

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Great idea, I had not thought of that. Now I have an excuse to buy me a Mr.Beer.

yournotpeter said:

Yes! I did see that...but in trying to conserve cash, I was hoping to make the starter with only 1 pack.

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If you're making a 7L starter, the cost of that much DME is going to be around $3 or $4. Unless you're doing an AG starter, or better yet reusing second runnings, you're actually saving money by pitching another packet of dry yeast.

weirdboy said:

If you're making a 7L starter, the cost of that much DME is going to be around $3 or $4. Unless you're doing an AG starter, or better yet reusing second runnings, you're actually saving money by pitching another packet of dry yeast.

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Man, it is thoughts like these that makes me glad I'm running with this crowd. Great Point!

yournotpeter said:

Man, it is thoughts like these that makes me glad I'm running with this crowd. Great Point!

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Well, that sort of depends...if it's dry yeast, then you don't want to make starters anyway. If it's liquid yeast, then you're probably paying ~$8 per vial/pack (counting shipping if you're getting it online). If you wanna pinch pennies, then do the math and see if it's more cost effective to get a second pack, or to just make a bigger starter. For me, spending $16 on yeast for a single batch is approaching absurd, but if you get into the habit of washing and reusing your liquid strains, then the cost goes down considerably. Just food for thought.

Oh, and not to mention that the dry yeast sachets are going up in price every day...

yournotpeter said:

Springer - you mean make the second 3 liter starter in the same vessel as the first? (decant the first batch and add the second starter right on top of that yeast, correct?)

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sorry for the late reply . Yes this is what I do when I need a larger starter. Let the yeast settle pour off the liquid and pitch onto the yeast bed.