First Time Making a Starter

Couple of Quick Questions.

I am planning to go on the cheap here.

Here is what I want to do. (basically I am asking am I on the right track?)
Side Note: I do 10gal batches and use 2 carboys

Go get one WL01 from the brew shop.
I have a 1000ml KIMAX beaker.

Q: Can I make a starter big enough in this vessel to split between 2 5 gallons batches?

After I do this .. I am going to follow this excellent Yeast Washing procedure for future batches.

Think bigger. If you check out Mr. Malty's Pitching Calculator (not knowing your OG) you are going need like a 6.5L starter

Mr Malty Pitching Rate Calculator

tgrier said:

Go get one WL01 from the brew shop.
I have a 1000ml KIMAX beaker.

Click to expand...

I'd start by pitching the yeast in 750ml of wort w/ 3 oz of DME. Let that ferment out.

Next, go over to NxNW and get a couple of growlers. Invite me over to help you drink the beer. When the hangover wears off :

* Fill each growler with 1 1/2 qt of wort w/ 6-8 oz of DME.
* Slosh around the 750ml starter really well.
* Pour half into each growler.
* Cover the growlers with sanitized foil and let them ferment out for a few days, then refrigerate, decant, and pitch.

If you follow this procedure you will be pretty close to ideal pitching rate for both carboys. The first step will take you from 100M to 160M cells or so, the second step will take the 80M cells up to about 200M in each growler. Ideal pitching rate is about 240M cells for 5 gallons of normal gravity ale.

If all you want is Cali Ale yeast use US-05, two packages runs under $4 and each one is about 200M cells so you don't need a starter either.

Warped04 said:

Think bigger.

Click to expand...

+1 on Bigger.

I, too, do 10 gallon batches and use 2 carboys. I pitch 1 each 2000mL flash into each carboy. I usually chill the day before, decant the beer, and just pitch the entire slurry from each flask into each carboy.