Quick ideas on an improvised starter container?

[Tribe Fan]

I have a 2L flask and need a 4L starter. This is lager yeast, but temp control should not be a problem. I can throw it in the bottom of a 5 gal carboy???

Any other ideas?

 

[MrBJones]

Do two 2L starters, store the first in a sanitized gallon container while you do the second...then combine and pitch?

 

[h22lude]

Use a calculator and do a step starter. Make a smaller starter, cold crash, decant and use the yeast to create another starter.

Do a 1L starter then make a 2L starter with that 1L starter yeast. I assume 5.5 gallons and an OG of 1.055. Production date I used 5/10/2016 (that is just what happened to be in my spreadsheet).

 

[jerbrew]

You could always step it up. Do a starter crash it and repitch into another 2L starter. Depending on how many cells you start with you would need 1 or 2 step ups.

 

[flars]

Use a large Tupperware or other brand storage container and do a shaken not stirred starter.

 

[h22lude]

OP is better off doing a step anyway. A 3L starter will give OP the necessary yeast but the inoculation rate is too low. 1L to 2L step is the best way to go.

To really determine the best starter, we need the OG, batch size and production date of yeast.

 

[Tribe Fan]

So I'm searching the basement and find this cool 5 liter wine jug. Nice thick glass. I ask the wife where this came from, "Oh I found it at TJMaxx for $10, cool huh"

So I pitched 3 liters in that and a liter in the flask. It's in the wine fridge at 54F.

Next lager I'll do the step. Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

 

[Tribe Fan]

1.055 OG, 5.5 gallons. I used Beersmith. Says I need 421 billion cells.

I used a lb of dark dme in a little over 4L of water. I pitched 2 WLP833 mfg date Jul 21 2016. That's basically the beersmith calculator.

If anyone wants to tell me how to do the step method to do the same, I'm happy to learn.

 

[h22lude]

Oh I didn't know you had two vials. You could have just made two 1.5L starters. That would have given you plenty of yeast for a lager.

The 3L starter has a slightly low inoculation rate. At 3L it is 20million/mL. The best range is 25 to 100. This is for a good growth rate. I don't think 20 is terrible though. Honestly, that 3L starter will give you enough yeast. You get about 480B from that and another 200B from the 1L.

A step starter is done if you don't have an appropriate size flask or you need a lot of yeast and want to keep the inoculation rate within range.

Using Homebrew Dad's calculator, you can make a 1L starter, decant then pitch that yeast into a 2.5L starter. Inoculation rate is within range and you end up with 554B.

 

[Tribe Fan]

Oh I didn't know you had two vials. You could have just made two 1.5L starters. That would have given you plenty of yeast for a lager.

The 3L starter has a slightly low inoculation rate. At 3L it is 20million/mL. The best range is 25 to 100. This is for a good growth rate. I don't think 20 is terrible though. Honestly, that 3L starter will give you enough yeast. You get about 480B from that and another 200B from the 1L.

A step starter is done if you don't have an appropriate size flask or you need a lot of yeast and want to keep the inoculation rate within range.

Using Homebrew Dad's calculator, you can make a 1L starter, decant then pitch that yeast into a 2.5L starter. Inoculation rate is within range and you end up with 554B.

Excellent. Thanks. I'll just pitch the 3L starter and harvest the yeast from the 1L. Wasn't thrilled about putting all that starter in the wort anyways.

Thanks for the advice here. This is my first lager. I've made starters a few times for ale yeast, but it was just to get it going if it was harvested or older. If I buy yeast, it is always White Labs and I just pitch it right in. Never had a batch take longer than 24 hours, and almost all of them have been less than 12. Love that stuff.