Mr. Malty Pitching Rate, how big of a starter???

[fg12351]

I'm getting ready to brew a 5 gallon extract kit of Belgian Ale (OG 1.060) and it came with 1 XL pack of Wyeast Belgian Ardens Liquid yeast. I've never used liquid yeast before and I am thinking I need to make a starter. I used Mr. Malty's pitching calculator and it tells me this:

# of Yeast Cells needed (in billions): 219
# packs needed without a starter: 2.3
# of packs needed with a starter: 1
# of liters of starter required: 2.43.

Now, does this mean I make a 2.43 liter starter (DME, boiled water) with my 1 pack of Wyeast liquid yeast??? I was planning on heading to the LBHS tonight to get a 2000ml erlenmeyer flask, some DME, an airlock, etc, but do I need something bigger or am I reading this wrong?

This is only my third batch. It will be 5 gallons and the Wyeast pack is 2 months old.

Thanks,

FG12351

 

[Walker]

You're reading it right.

Mr Malty says that if you have a single smack-pack, you need to make a 2.4 liter starter.

Having said that... according to Mr. Malty, I have under-pitched every single batch of beer that I have ever made, and my beers still come out just fine.

So... don't get too hung up on it.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Since you said the calculator says 219 billion cells required I'm assuming you are putting 5.25 gal in the batch size block, is that right?

You need to check the box that says 'Calculate viability by date' and then enter the date the yeast was made in the date block (I chose 12/16/2010 since you said it was 2 months old).

So...using liquid yeast, for an ale at at 1.060 OG, 5.25 gal batch size, viability date of 12/16/2010 (which returns 53% viability), simple starter, and the 'yeast growth' slider all the way to the right (fewer yeast packs/larger starters) it says with 1 yeast pack you need a 5.37L starter.

That's a big starter so I'd step-up a starter in a 2L flask (because that's the only flask I have). So I'd make my first starter like normal (1.8L to allow room for krausen, sometimes it still blows off) and let it ferment out, chill (preferably for 24 hours), decant the liquid and add another 1.8L or so of boiled/cooled/aerated wort and let that ferment out, then chill (preferably for 24 hours), decant the liquid and pitch.

EDIT: that would normally take 5 days; 2 days for the first step, 1 day to chill, 1 day for the second step, 1 day to chill. The second step should ferment out much quicker than the first step (because you've grown a bunch of yeast in the first step).

EDIT2: you don't need an airlock, just put foil over it.

 

[fg12351]

SpanishCastleAle,

You got it, that's what I used. I had the slider at 3 though.

Wow, being a newb I though the Wyeast pack was all I needed, that was wrong.

Dumb question: Decanting the liquid is removing the wort from the flask and keeping the yeast correct? Do you just pour it out? I assume I only want the yeast going into my fermenter correct?

Thanks for the info!

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Yea, decanting is basically what you do when you pour a homebrew...pour slowly without 'gurgling' and trying to leave the yeast cake as intact as possible. Leave just enough liquid in there to make the slurry pourable, slosh it around to mix the yeast and get it off the bottom then pour it in your fermenter.

I always flame the rim of the flask as soon as I remove the foil too. Might not be absolutely necessary but it only takes a minute.

 

[fg12351]

SpanishCastleAle,

I'm not following something here:

You stated making 2 1.8L starters, how does that get me to 5.37L?

I may have missed something,

Thanks,

FG12351