Saflager 34/70 - 3 packets for maibock?

Both Mr. Malty and Beersmith recommend 3 packets of Saflager 34/70 for a 5 gallon 1.068 OG maibock that I'm about to brew. I planned on using 2. I've got 2 on hand so I guess I'm off to buy a 3rd. This is my first lager. Really? 3 packets?

The big variable is fermentation temperature. If you rehydrate two 11.5 gram packages as per the product sheet instructions, you will have about 460 billion cells. For 5 gallons of a 1.068 lager you need about 471 according to Mr. Malty, so I would certainly think you are close enough. The problem will be if you want to ferment quite cool (less than about 48) which ups your cell count needs.

I recently pitched three packages of rehydrated W-34/70 into a 1.066 bock and another three into a 1.049 Vienna lager. I've used W-34/70 before, but never three packages, always two. This time I wanted to push the temps down further; pitched at 41-42 and fermented at 45. Everything went pretty well IMO; beers are just about to be d-rested.

Moral of the story--if you are fermenting around 50 I would bet my boots you are okay with two packs. I've done it with that yeast many times. If you sprinkle rather than rehydrate, or if you push the temps quite low, then go with three (at least). Underpitching can be a big problem with lagers, so you want to err on the side of caution.

Thanks. I'll be in the low 50s so I was going to just rehydrate and try the 2 packets, then I noticed they expired 3 months ago (I bought them yesterday). So, I went back and unfortunately, they were all expired. So, I grabbed some Bohemian Lager and now have to make a starter. I guess I'm not brewing today.

That's too bad. I probably would have just used them, but better safe than sorry!

I just used 2 packets of that yeast that were expired as well, by about 3 months too. I got full attenuation and a very tasty schwarzbier to show for it. I saved the yeast and fermented 2 more lagers with it by pitching slurry.

Hope the op didn't toss those packets, they could be useful yet.

SkinnyPete said:

Thanks. I'll be in the low 50s so I was going to just rehydrate and try the 2 packets, then I noticed they expired 3 months ago (I bought them yesterday). So, I went back and unfortunately, they were all expired. So, I grabbed some Bohemian Lager and now have to make a starter. I guess I'm not brewing today.

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I hope you got a refund

Lushife said:

I hope you got a refund

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Yes, good point.

I did, then got impatient and went to a different store and grabbed 3 packets so I could brew yesterday. Rehydrated and pitched last night. Now I have Bohemian sitting around do I guess I'll HAVE to brew another lager