Understanding Mr Malty

Hi,

I purchases some Wyeast Propagator packs for use in some upcoming recipes while I was on a road trip.

The first recipe on my list is a partial mash Barley Wine that should have a FG of 1.104. I plugged in the numbers into Mr Malty and it says I need 6 qts of starter if I want to use one pack of yeast. Being frugal, and not having a local source of liquid yeast, I would prefer to use one pack.

Is it intended that I pitch the whole pack into a single 6qt starter in a suitable container?

Can I start in a 1/2 gallon growler, then split it into multiple growlers with fresh starter to avoid having to get a single appropriate container? I have a lot of 1/2 gallon growlers, but everything after that is 5+ gallons.

Finally, I do not have any yeast nutrient. I am thinking to boil some bread yeast to use as I have read elsewhere on the forum. How much boiled bread yeast per qt of starter is a good level of nutrient?

Thanks,

Chris

Step up the starter. Make a 2qt starter (or whatever you're capable of) chill and decant. Refill with fresh wort and repeat until you reach your pitch rate.

Thanks.. that makes sense.

Is there a saturation point where I need a larger starter wort rather then just stepping through iterations of 2 qt?

Chris

Not really. 2qt or 1L per step is basically all i have ever seen.

option 2, brew a smaller beer first, then harvest the yeast slurry. you'll have enough for the barley wine, and then some (for future batches)

When using the Mr Malty calculator make sure you have the date set correctly.
It will make a big difference. I almost screwed this up a couple of times.

Yes, I noticed that made a big difference. Since I bought everything to brew over the next few months it will make a big difference for my starters down the line..

Chris

If I were you, I'd not pitch the entire 6 quarts. Too much dilution. I'd chill the stepped-up starter to precipitate the yeast into slurry and pitch the slurry. The Mr Malty calculator can figure that for you, too. Just use the Repitching from Slurry tab; use the default settings for Concentration and Non-Yeast Percentage and you'll be close enough for jazz.

Cheers,

Bob

malkore said:

Not really. 2qt or 1L per step is basically all i have ever seen.

option 2, brew a smaller beer first, then harvest the yeast slurry. you'll have enough for the barley wine, and then some (for future batches)

Click to expand...

I have a porter ready to make too.. where there be any issue with color if I use the yeast from the porter?

Part of the reason I want to start with the Barleywine is I have LME I want to use for that I need to use soon.. I have enough DME for my other two recipes but would be under no particular time pressure..

Bob said:

If I were you, I'd not pitch the entire 6 quarts. Too much dilution. I'd chill the stepped-up starter to precipitate the yeast into slurry and pitch the slurry. The Mr Malty calculator can figure that for you, too. Just use the Repitching from Slurry tab; use the default settings for Concentration and Non-Yeast Percentage and you'll be close enough for jazz.

Click to expand...

Ok.. per Mr Malty, I need 6 qts of starter. If I go to the slurry tab it says 500ml of slurry if I use "thin" slurry. Does this mean I go through the process, decanting and adding starter until I have gone through 6 qts of starter, then scoop out 500ml of slurry and toss it in my bucket?

Can I skip the concern about how much starter I use and just keep stepping until I have the right amount of slurry at the bottom?

THanks,

Chris

That's what I do all the time. I just keep stepping up until I have what looks like enough slurry. Then I decant all but about a half-inch of the spent starter wort and swirl the contents of the growler. Makes it easier to pour into a sanitized glass measuring cup.

Cheers,

Bob