WLP810 SF Lager Yeast Starter Question

I realize this is a lager yeast and can take longer to start and I'm looking for a few opinions on this.
I can't get this yeast until Friday afternoon but I would make the starter immediately after I pick it up from my LHBS.

I'm doing a 1.052 California Common and I was wondering if I could get away with a 1 quart starter for 48 hours with lots of shaking?

Would I be under pitching and would this be long enough for this strain to do it's thing in the starter? I would do 2 quarts but I won't have time to decant and I don't want half a gallon of oxidized wort in my brew. Thanks!

48 hours should be enough time. Assuming you're making a 5 gallon batch, a 1 quart starter would end you up with about 9 million cells per mL (according to the wyeast calc). That's a touch low, but not terrible, for a 1.052 beer.

MalFet said:

48 hours should be enough time. Assuming you're making a 5 gallon batch, a 1 quart starter would end you up with about 9 million cells per mL (according to the wyeast calc). That's a touch low, but not terrible, for a 1.052 beer.

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Thanks for the input. Yes it's a 5 gallon batch. Well like I said in my post, the only thing keeping me from making a bigger starter is the fact that I won't have time to chill and decant off the oxidized wort. I realize the answer might be that I don't have time to make this beer on Sunday and I'm ok with that.

It sounds like it might be ok though if I get it going Friday afternoon and do lots of shaking. Agree?

Yep. I like my steam beers with a more ale-like fermentation profile, and that's what you'll likely be getting.