one smack pack, 3 or 4 batches?

[Zeppman]

Hey guys,

Got this idea from a more experienced brewer I met a few weeks ago... I'd like to be able to make a large enough starter with one smack pack of wyeast 1272. I understand how to make starters, but what I don't know is the amounts of water, and DME I need to grow enough cells for 3 or 4 batches. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I'd like to split this "large" starter up and and save the 3 or 4 jars in the fridge for later use in beers with OGs in the 1.060 range.

Thanks.

 

[Ichthy]

mr.malty.com has a pitch rate caculator that will estimate your starter size. YOu could always repitch slurry from your finished batches as well.

 

[stageseven]

How much later use? You should check out the sticky on washing yeast if it's going to be a couple weeks. Then you would only need to make a starter big enough for the first batch and can harvest the yeast and reuse it for the additional batches.

 

[atomiclunchbox]

I would do your most mild batch first. You should get enough yeast slurry to pitch 3 or more batches.

 

[ThickHead]

click me

 

[Zeppman]

The brews would be about a week apart, since I brew almost every weekend. Mr. malty states I need a 2.43L starter for one batch if the OG was 1.060, which means I need 243g of DME. This provides 219 bil cells, or about 11mil cell/ mL.

So if I make a 4.86L starter Is that enough for 2 batches of that gravity? Is there a way I can make something like a 3L starter, only use 2.43L of it, save the rest in the fridge and then use that for my next starter for my next batch? If so, how can I calculate how much yeast I have (for the 2nd starter) and how much of a starter I need?

 

[FrewBrew]

Hmm. Those volumes seem high. Thats over a gallon of starter. Maybe its just me but that seems like overkill.