5Gal Lager with 1000ML Flask?

[smAllGrain]

Finally have my fermentation chamber setup so of course I am looking to do my first lager

Unfortunately, I only have a 1000ml flask. What is the best route? Make a starter and also pitch a second smack pack?

Also, all the lagering information I am finding online appears to be from 2011. What is the "modern" lager fermentation process\d rest?

 

[JonM]

Get two packs of 34/70 and call it done.

 

[smAllGrain]

Looks like my LHBS only has Saflager S-23... Any experience with that?

 

[moreb33rplz]

You could do a 2-step starter

 

[IslandLizard]

After your 1st step-up in the 1000ml, use a gallon jug for the final step. Or pitch rehydrated dry yeast.

 

[broadbill]

Also, all the lagering information I am finding online appears to be from 2011. What is the "modern" lager fermentation process\d rest?

Here is a good one:
http://brulosophy.com/methods/lager-method/

 

[kombat]

IMHO, 1000mL is much too small for a decent lager starter, even if you had a stir plate (you didn't say). Heck, I'd consider that too small for ales.

You can either pitch 3-4 smack packs, or a couple packets of dry yeast (rehydrated). Or you can make your 1L starter. It'll still ferment, it's just not the "best" way to do it, and the resulting beer won't taste the same. Whether or not it's good enough is really up to you.

 

[PGEduardo]

You could do a couple of things, in my opinion:
-1L starter, no steps and ferment a little warm (some say fermenting warmer with lager yeasts is a good thing, but depends on the strain potentially)

-1L starter with a couple steps/gallon jug idea

-Two packs of dry lager yeast

-Two packs of liquid lager yeast

-One pack of liquid and one pack of dry

There's a lot of variables here and room for experimenting. To keep things simple for your first lager I'd vote for just pitching a couple packs of rehydrated dry yeast...

 

[schematix]

I have found that a 1.2L lager starter for a 1.055 beer is under pitching and you'll get estery beer.

But i have found that 2.25L for 1.050 is sufficient, provided its fresh and healthy.

I used 100g DME per 1000g water, with a 1/8tsp of yeast nutrient per 1.5L, and used a stir plate for approx 36 hours before cold crashing for a few days.

 

[BeardedBrews]

You could always use your carboy for your starter. Just boil up 4L water with 400g DME and pitch in your sanitized carboy like it's a flask. Give it a few days and then decant or rack off the beer leaving a nice mini yeast cake behind.

 

[smAllGrain]

How about a 1Gal jug? Wouldn't be able to do 4L but maybe 3.25L? Think it holds 3.75ish L

 

[JonM]

That might work. You can run it through this calculator to see if it'll work. http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/

You might be able to do it with one step on the stir plate and the second with intermittent shaking.

 

[smAllGrain]

Am I reading this correctly?

"# liters of starter" - Is this the volume of wort I need before pitching the yeast into the starter?

 

[Double_D]

yes, you're reading that right

 

[moreb33rplz]

I'm a starter newb. Can't appropriate cells be reached by:

- 1 L starter on stir plate
- ferment, refrigerate, decant
- another 1 l on stir plate

??

 

[wolves63]

I'm a starter newb. Can't appropriate cells be reached by:

- 1 L starter on stir plate
- ferment, refrigerate, decant
- another 1 l on stir plate

??

You will be very close and in my opinion close enough.
The first 1 L should put you close to 200 billion cells and the second one should be you at 350 billion cells. They recommend 400 billion for that amount, but I think that you will be close enough for homebrew.

 

[kombat]

I'm a starter newb. Can't appropriate cells be reached by:

- 1 L starter on stir plate
- ferment, refrigerate, decant
- another 1 l on stir plate

No. Yeast cells don't just automatically multiply every time they find fresh food. They're like goldfish; they'll grow to the size of their environment. Doing what you describe would result in multiplication the first time, but the second time you'd just be feeding the same 100 billion (or whatever) cells. You wouldn't get nearly the same growth factor. For that, you need to feed them a larger volume of wort, to encourage them to undergo a growth phase.

 

[EPbrew]

You could always use your carboy for your starter. Just boil up 4L water with 400g DME and pitch in your sanitized carboy like it's a flask. Give it a few days and then decant or rack off the beer leaving a nice mini yeast cake behind.

That is a really good idea! Plus you don't have an extra flask/growler to clean.

 

[EPbrew]

No. Yeast cells don't just automatically multiply every time they find fresh food. They're like goldfish; they'll grow to the size of their environment. Doing what you describe would result in multiplication the first time, but the second time you'd just be feeding the same 100 billion (or whatever) cells. You wouldn't get nearly the same growth factor. For that, you need to feed them a larger volume of wort, to encourage them to undergo a growth phase.

I don't use a stir plate but couldn't you decant & split the first 1L then proceed with stepping them both up.

 

[kombat]

I don't use a stir plate but couldn't you decant & split the first 1L then proceed with stepping them both up.

Yep, that'd work, you'd get decent growth doing that.

 

[BrewerE]

and the second with intermittent shaking.

do you do this with a lid on? how does it introduce more O2 if you have a lid on?