2 vials or starter for a gallon batch?

[lmd]

Making a 10gallon Oatmeal Stout This weekend. The question I have is that if I use two 5 gallon carboys to ferment the stout, how do I know how much I have to pitch in each one if I make a starter? Do I make just one big starter and try and guess half of it to one and the other half to the other carboy>

Or Is the easier The other option is to use a package for each carboy?

Thanks

 

[zacster]

I make a 2l starter for my 5 gallon batches that I split into two 3 gallon Better Bottles. I decant the liquid, then put it back on my stir plate to mix the remaining yeast slurry. I then eyeball splitting between the two batches. I tried using a measuring cup one time but in the end it was easy enough to estimate.

 

[flars]

The size of the starter that you will need depends upon the production date of the yeast. White Labs production dates are four months prior to the use by date.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/

Make your starter, cold crash, and then decant all of the starter wort. Add chilled wort from your stout, to swirl the yeast into, to make eye balling one-half the volume easier to do.

 

[davejanssen]

I often pitch starters (either one starter or two starters of different yeasts) into multiple carboys. I usually do the splitting by weight so I can get it even and also so I know what I did in case it wasn't terribly even. I find it to be a bit tricky eyeballing even amounts in conical flasks and those graduations are pretty approximate.

Putting a bit of your chilled stout in as flars said is a good way to break up the starter cake.

 

[1van]

Starters....you get visual proof the yeast is alive and working. decant, step it up then split by weight