Yeast pitch calculator, what gives?

Ok, It's my first time using one on Brewer's Friend and first time making a starter. I am trying to make my first lager (a 1.069 Maibock, 5 gal batch) and it says, I need 3 packs of liquid yeast in a 2L starter to create enough yeast cells. Can that be right? For 5 gal? Liquid yeast aint cheap. Can I get away with less?

 

You can use one pack of yeast and step it up with one or two more steps. Scroll down beyond the initial screen to find the step up part of the calculator.

 

Figure 1 pack in a 2 liter starter = 2 packs of yeast. 2 packs in a 4 liter starter = 4 packs of yeast. Yeast isn't cheap, that's correct, but neither is DME and your time.

 

What does that mean? add more starters? I saw that, but didn't know how to use it.

 

So, should I add a 4L starter with 2 packs? That's a whole gallon in need to account for in my carboy. Like I said, first starter. Not trying to sound ignorant. My carboy is 6.5 gal, my batch size is actually 6 gal. It's getting kind of tight.

 

Not really, just cold crash the starter and decant all the liquid, just pour in the yeast slurry.

 

I would never add all of that starter wort to my beer, decant the wort then pitch only the yeast.

 

That makes sense. I knew I was missing something. Thanks.

So, do lagers generally take this much yeast. I'm used to one pack for 5 gal ales. Most have been under 1.060, but I did make a Saison 1.069 with one pack of dry yeast.

 

Yes, lagers are twice if not triple the amount of yeast as ales. This is due to the fact that this type of yeast is more fragile and can not sporulate like ale yeast.