So my supplier was nice enough to send me an Activator that was 6 months minus 1 day, on ordering day. So basically, 11$ for a yeast that will be almost 8 months when I'll use it. Anyways, there are my questions.
That is going to be a lager, and I need 400 billion cells from that smack pack.
According to yeast calc (www.yeastcalc.com), a 8 months yeast has a viability rate of 10%, wich means I would need I would be impossible to reach 400 billion in a simple starter. To accomodate my 2L erlen, I would need to proceed a 3 step starter like this:
1st - 1.4L
2nd- 1.4L
3rd - 1.25L
So 1st question: Could I rely on that 10% rate of viability or it could be more?
2nd question: How should I proceed for the stepped starter? The activator will take few days to inflate (1 week? room temp? fridge?) then 24h per starter, 24h of decant each time?
3rd question: Instead of going three times in the boiling/chilling wort thing, could I make a big batch of wort and bottle it in sanitize bottle, fridge it, and take it off when I need it?
That is going to be a lager, and I need 400 billion cells from that smack pack.
According to yeast calc (www.yeastcalc.com), a 8 months yeast has a viability rate of 10%, wich means I would need I would be impossible to reach 400 billion in a simple starter. To accomodate my 2L erlen, I would need to proceed a 3 step starter like this:
1st - 1.4L
2nd- 1.4L
3rd - 1.25L
So 1st question: Could I rely on that 10% rate of viability or it could be more?
2nd question: How should I proceed for the stepped starter? The activator will take few days to inflate (1 week? room temp? fridge?) then 24h per starter, 24h of decant each time?
3rd question: Instead of going three times in the boiling/chilling wort thing, could I make a big batch of wort and bottle it in sanitize bottle, fridge it, and take it off when I need it?