10 Gallon batches. How to do the yeast?

[Zrab11]

Ok I have searched this forum and google and have come up with what I think to be the answer but nothing completely concrete.

OK I am NOT asking how to make a yeast starter or how much yeast to pitch. I have used this site http://billybrew.com/stepping-up-a-yeast-starter and understand how to find out how many cells I need and whatnot by Using Mr. Malty Calculator http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

My question is how do i distribute the yeast between each 5 gallon fermenter?

So I brew a 10 gallon batch in my keggle. cool it down and then I'm ready to transfer my beer into my 5 gallon glass carboys.

Should I pitch my yeast in the keggle , stir it up so as to hope it evenly distributes itself and then transfer the beer into each 5 gallon fermenter?

or

Should I transfer the beer into each 5 gallon fermenter and then try to pour half the yeast starter into each fermenter?

Or

should I make a yeast starter for each 5 gallon fermenter? This seems counter productive as I would be washing my yeast then making a starter with it and then having to use double the yeast and double my time.(b/c i am making 2 starters) I then would NOT be saving any money by washing my yeast. right??

or

Is there another method I am overlooking. Except buying a 10gallon or bigger fermenter.

I would really like to not have to purchase any more equipment and just us the carboys i have now. I have 2x 5gallon glass carboys and 2x 6.5gallon glass carboys.

So people who make 10 gallon batches please help me out!

Thanks

 

[PasbitinusBluinusRibbinus]

I think you are really, really overthinking this.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

I think you are really, really overthinking this.

^^^this^^^

Dude, pour half the starter in each fermenter. Shake it up really good first. Done...

 

[TAK]

There's nothing wrong with over thinking. I don't do 10 gal batches, so I can't say from experience, but I get your pondering. Some flocculent strains really clump in the starter flask, so it'd be hard to get half in one carboy and half in another. I put a fair amount of effort in pitching the proper rate, and I'd hate to over pitch one and under pitch the other. I like the idea of mixing in the kettle and transferring.

 

[Slow_Day]

I think this is a valid question. Since I have started making 10 gallon batches, I notice that it's not that simple to eyeball how much yeast you are pouring from a tapered erlenmeyer flask. It is not as easy to judge as when pouring from a straight sided vessel, especially with a highly flocculant yeast that will not stay suspended.

That said, I prefer not to transfer to separate vessels to measure, and just try to get as close as I can.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Just to play devils advocate. Even mixing in the kettle will not guarantee that you get even distribution in both 5gallon batches. Who's to say most of the yeast didn't clump together in the kettle. Or settle out on the bottom of the pot.... I would just split the starter and then rack 5 gallons into each carboy. Whichever way you do it you're still making beer. I'm sure it will come out fine either way.

 

[cluckk]

When I do 10's I split into two fermenters like you and I simply pour half of the calculated yeast into each.

When I do part-gyle batches (pulling two different 5 gallon batches from a single mash) I calculate the expected gravity for each and then make two starters.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

I've gone two ways:
I have a 20 gallon fermentor (for wine) and I have put 11 gallons into it, pitched a starter made from a single vial, and then pumped into 6 gallon carboys. I did this because I only had one smack pack to make a starter, it was an ale, and could make a single 2 liter starter.
I have also made two starters with 1 vial each, filled each carboy from the kettle, and pitched. I did it this way because it was a lager, and I needed more yeast than I could make with a single starter.
I chose not to try to eyeball splitting the starter, because I don't think I could have gotten the accuracy I wanted.

 

[johnnv]

Stir your starter very well on a stir plate, use 2 graduated cylinders or flask and keep pouring a little in each one, while swirling your stater, to keep the yeast in suspension, until you have an approximate equal amount in each container. You should be close enough. I am guessing your making at least a 2000 ml + starter?

I looked at mrmalty calculator for the first time, seems like overkill to me, but better to have to much yeast than not enough. The only real way to know what the cell count in a starter is, count the cells with a hemocytomer and a microscope, other than that your winging it. That's ok, a little trial and error, you can wing it, most people do. If you take 3 or 4 days to grow your yeast, I don't see why you can't get 380 billion cells from one vial of yeast. That's just my opinion, I am sure there are many different "expert" opinions on here, lol.

 

[narl79]

I asked the same question a while back and did this.... assuming you have a 2000 ml flask.. I took a measuring cup and filled it 2oz at a time and marked it. Id make my stater and just eyeball it the best I can. Now for the same price I just use 2 packs of dry yeast and rehydrate separatly and have great success with no worries about how much yeast I have in each one.

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[Weezy]

Safest way is to dilute the yeast as much as practical....

Get a big glass pitcher or large jar, one gallon bucket;
dump all the slurry into it;
Add your wort to fill the container 2/3-3/4 full;
Stir vigorously;
Pour out wort/yeast mix evenly into fermenters.

 

[hio3791]

I use 2 packs of dry yeast, one into each bucket. Once I rack to kegs, I collect the slurry from each bucket into 2 mason jars. With a total of 4 mason jars from one 10-gal batch, I can then use 1 jar per bucket of a new batch, so I brew 2 more 10-gal batches. I only do 1 iteration so from 2 packs of dry yeast, I get a total of 30 gal.

 

[Clef051]

I use two different containers for the starters. Pour one in each fermentor and be done with it.

 

[poptotwoboys]

I split my ten gallon batch into 2 corney kegs and use a pack of dry yeast for each keg, secure the lid and put a fitting on the gas and a length of tube for a blow off.

 

[johngaltsmotor]

I'm with Weezy on this one. After you rack off the young beer and are left with just your slurry, dilute this with wort. Either fill your flask with chilled wort or put it in one of your carboys or something. The more you dilute the yeast before dividing the better your odds of getting an equal distribution. Yeah they may clump together or start to settle out, but it's unlikely to be a huge difference in the short time between swirling and dividing.

I use brew buckets so I typically dump the yeast slurry in one, fill with wort, transfer half to the 2nd bucket then top off each bucket.

 

[Rehlgood]

If your flask is like mine it is graduated. If you make a 5000 mL starter, pour 2500 mL in one and 2500 mL in the other. RLDWHAHB.

 

[Slow_Day]

If your flask is like mine it is graduated. If you make a 5000 mL starter, pour 2500 mL in one and 2500 mL in the other. RLDWHAHB.

My last batch was with wlp002. That stuff drops like a rock to the bottom of the flask. The top half would have contained a small fraction of the yeast that the bottom half would have contained.

I didn't have time to crash cool and decant the wort, so I just tried to split the top portion into each fermenter, swirl and split the remainder. I got pretty close.

 

[Zrab11]

WOW a lot of different opinions on this one.

So I get the gist that if I use the 2L flask I have to make my yeast starter in. I just swirl the yeast around and pour 1/4(500ml) in one 5 gallon carboy and then 1/4(500ml) in the second 5 gallon carboy.. then Swirl the flask again and pour 1/4(500ml) in the 5 gallon carboy and 1/4(500ml) in the second 5 gallon carboy I'll be pretty dang close to getting equal amounts of yeast in each fermentor and I'll be fine.

Is that correct?

I am not trying to over think this and don't think its really a dumb question just want to do make good beer.

 

[narl79]

You should be fine with that. Before switching to dry thats what I did and it worked great. Heres a pic from that brew after 2 days. Sorry its sideways.

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