Two Stage Starter question...

[Sharpie]

So I've just ordered the Belgian Tripel kit from Midwest Supplies using the White Labs 550 Belgian Ale yeast. OG should be 1.072-1.076. I just used the calculator on Mr. Malty and it's telling me I'm going to need to make about a 3.28L starter (248 billion cells). I only have a 1L Erlenmeyer flask right now. I'm pretty sure I know how to figure this out but I thought I'd check...

1. I calculate what my cell count will be after a 1L starter (using a starting count of around 100 billion for white labs).
2. I calculate what size starter I should make with a starting cell count of whatever I have at the end of the 1L starter?

Is there a calculator online that can figure this out for me (I can do it by hand but confirming I'm right is nice)? Better question.... Is there an easier way to do this? This will be my 5th brew but I've only really had to make a starter once (it was a little less than a liter and I probably didn't really HAVE to do it). How would you do this?

 

[veritas524]

Www.yeastcalc.com

 

[Maddoghoek]

Your other option is to use something other then the flask to make a starter. If you can clean and sanitize it properly then you can use just about anything. Plastic jug, mason jars, etc.

 

[Sharpie]

Ok, so I got my yeast today and I'm making my starter tonight. Since this is my first multi-step starter, could someone check my calculations? Using yeastcalc.com I came up with this:

If I'm making a 5gal batch of beer that'll be OG 1.074 I should:
1. Make a 1L starter and let it go for 24 hours. (intermittent shaking)
2. Refrigerate for 24.
3. Take it out and use it to make another 1L starter and wait 24.
4. Refrigerate for 24.

This should give me a final cell count of 266 billion and my target was around 255. I'm assuming it'll end up a little less than that anyway since I'm using a 1L erlenmeyer and given how full the flask will be, it'll be a bit hard to shake it well enough to aerate.

More importantly, the calculator defaults to a 1.037 starter in the DME calculator. Should I assume that the main calculations are assuming a 1.037 starter? Am I better off doing a starter that's a bit higher... maybe 1.040-1.045?

 

[helibrewer]

Ok, so I got my yeast today and I'm making my starter tonight. Since this is my first multi-step starter, could someone check my calculations? Using yeastcalc.com I came up with this:

If I'm making a 5gal batch of beer that'll be OG 1.074 I should:
1. Make a 1L starter and let it go for 24 hours. (intermittent shaking)
2. Refrigerate for 24.
3. Take it out and use it to make another 1L starter and wait 24.
4. Refrigerate for 24.

This should give me a final cell count of 266 billion and my target was around 255. I'm assuming it'll end up a little less than that anyway since I'm using a 1L erlenmeyer and given how full the flask will be, it'll be a bit hard to shake it well enough to aerate.

More importantly, the calculator defaults to a 1.037 starter in the DME calculator. Should I assume that the main calculations are assuming a 1.037 starter? Am I better off doing a starter that's a bit higher... maybe 1.040-1.045?

You will get about the same yield from a single 2L starter (about 230 billion). Keep the SG of the starter low, 1.030-1.040

 

[Sharpie]

Yeah but the problem is I only have a 1L flask and I don't have any 2L bottles around.

 

[Jukas]

Ok, so I got my yeast today and I'm making my starter tonight. Since this is my first multi-step starter, could someone check my calculations? Using yeastcalc.com I came up with this:

If I'm making a 5gal batch of beer that'll be OG 1.074 I should:
1. Make a 1L starter and let it go for 24 hours. (intermittent shaking)
2. Refrigerate for 24.
3. Take it out and use it to make another 1L starter and wait 24.
4. Refrigerate for 24.

This should give me a final cell count of 266 billion and my target was around 255. I'm assuming it'll end up a little less than that anyway since I'm using a 1L erlenmeyer and given how full the flask will be, it'll be a bit hard to shake it well enough to aerate.

More importantly, the calculator defaults to a 1.037 starter in the DME calculator. Should I assume that the main calculations are assuming a 1.037 starter? Am I better off doing a starter that's a bit higher... maybe 1.040-1.045?

The only problem I see with your figures above when I plug them into yeastcalc is it's basing off a mfg date of today 5/23/2012 to come up with 266 billion final cells with a 2 step process of 1L starter each time with Intermittent Shaking.

It's much more likely that the mfg date on your yeast is at least 2-4 weeks old which will drop your viability from 97% to 86% @ 2weeks, 81% @ 3 weeks and 75% at 4 weeks.

If you don't have a stir plate (and I seriously recommend you get one, they're awesome) and your yeast is at least 2 weeks old you will be slightly under pitching with 2 steps of 1L (175b first step, 257b second). If you have an empty growler you could use that for your starter.

A 1/2 gallon growler mostly full will give you approx 1.5L starter which first step would give you 185 billion cells, a second 1L starter after that would give you 285 billion cells assuming 86% viability or 195 billion / 273 billion with 2 steps and 75% viability.

As for starter wort, I like to keep mine around 1.030 and have been known to go as low as 1.020. I want the yeast hungry and reproducing.