what temp for lager starter?

What temp should I make my 2L yeast starter? I'm using Wyeast California Lager yeast.

Do I make it 1-2 days before I pitch? I've only made ale yeast starters before and I didn't know if the time and temps were the same.

Thre's a video on Northern Brewer's website/You Tube that says even lager starters should ferment at warmer temperatures normally associated with ales - 70-75F.

Normal room temps...you're trying to grow yeast, not make good-tasting beer. Treat it like an ale starter, just make it bigger (need more yeast for lagers)

Is a 2L starter big enough? I don't have a stir plate :/

MathiasMicrobrew said:

Is a 2L starter big enough? I don't have a stir plate :/

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Plug your numbers into Yeastcalc.com...I'm guessing it's not.

And honestly, I've noticed my yeast is considerably better after the first generation. So I might consider brewing a small batch of something, ferment it warmer with the lager yeast, harvest it, then pitch the slurry into your lager. More steps, but I think you'll get better results. Or just buy more yeast.

2L is definitely not enough. Without a stir plate, and a low-gravity lager (1.040) you'll need ~5L of starter for your lager IF and ONLY IF your yeast was made yesterday and you made your starter today. If your yeast is older (it is) and your beer is bigger (it might be) you will likely need even more yeast.

Lager brewing is not for the faint of heart/equipment.

Similar question.

I'm making my first starter (finally). I'm brewing a maibock. I was curious if it mattered what DME was used. Do you want one similar to the style you are brewing?

bcmeyer said:

Similar question.

I'm making my first starter (finally). I'm brewing a maibock. I was curious if it mattered what DME was used. Do you want one similar to the style you are brewing?

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Not really, especially for lagers since you'll decant off most of the spent beer anyway due to the size of the starter. If your beer is lighter though, you definitely don't want to darken it with darker extract in your starter.

I'm gonna do a double starter batch. One today, then decant and make another Saturday morning. The problem is that I only have 1.5c of DME. should I split between them both 50/50?

I usually use 1c for a 2L batch. If I use .75c, how much wort shld I make each starter?

Why do you folks switch to liters for starters and use gallons, pints, ounces etc elsewhere?
Why is it necessary or beneficial to decant tbe clearer liquid from tne starter before pitching? I don't and I'm pretty happy with all my brews.

stevescott123 said:

Why do you folks switch to liters for starters and use gallons, pints, ounces etc elsewhere?
Why is it necessary or beneficial to decant tbe clearer liquid from tne starter before pitching? I don't and I'm pretty happy with all my brews.

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Because a lot of people use flasks to make their starters and they are measured in liters.

Also, it is suggested that you do not add more than 5% of your wort volume as starter wort to your beer. At a 1 or 2 liter starter, you are probably fine to add the whole volume of the starter without much consequence, so it is personal preference there. For a lager or high gravity ale though, where it is not uncommon to have 3-5 liter starters, at that volume you can start to notice color change, reduced OG and possibly flavor change. One night in the fridge to decant is easy enough and for me, worth the extra bit of effort.

The glass vial most of us use is in mL and L. I decant most liquid so I don't have a chance to dilute or change my wort profile. Just personal preference.

I definitely didn't see ur post before I posted pjoyce haha but yes I totally agree