6 Gallon Starter!!

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CBMbrewer

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I am going to be brewing a 22 gallon batch in a few weeks and obviously want to pitch a whole bunch of yeast. Per Mr.Malty's advice I am going to make a 6 gallon "starter". So I am just going to brew a 6 gallon batch and use the washed yeast for the big batch. I have always understood that a low gravity wort is ideal for a starter i.e. 1.02-1.04. But I am pretty sure that plenty of big breweries harvest and reuse yeast that comes from the lower gravity beers, many of which with a gravity of ~1.05. I would prefer to brew a batch with a gravity closer to 1.05 then 1.04. Would that gravity be too stressful for the yeast, resulting in less then optimal slurry for the 22 gallon batch?
My other thought was to harvest the yeast as soon as primary fermentation is done, so not all of the yeast has gone completely dormant. I could either transfer to secondary (which I haven't done in forever) and wash the cake. Or wait until I am ready to keg and cold crash. If I transfer before I cold crash will the yeast still in suspension have a significant impact on the cell count of the cake?
 
22 gallon batch of what recipe?

I've made mini starters from yeast I've collected from the bottom of freshly opened bottles of my homebrew.

I have a friend that did a 5 gallon starter for a light lager beer we made a 20 gallon batch of. The 20 gallon batch had a big corn component.

I don't know the specifics though it was his idea and I let him run with it.
 
There's really no need to "wash" that cake, especially if you're going to turn right around and re-pitch into the big batch. Just pour it into a big sanitized jar and pitch it

1.050 gravity for the first batch would be just fine. Also, you can wait until it's done, cold crash it if you want and still harvest that yeast for the second beer. It would not hurt it a bit to go dormant then get re-awaken for a new feast.
 
22 gallon batch of what recipe?

Basically a Sierra Nevada pale ale, with a couple of changes. I have brewed it several times before. It's simple and always a hit.

I have a friend that did a 5 gallon starter for a light lager beer we made a 20 gallon batch of. The 20 gallon batch had a big corn component.

Yeah, that's why I am trying to be very sure that I will be pitching enough yeast. Diacetyl is a horrible occurrence. I wonder if your friend did a diacetyl rest on the light lager.

There's really no need to "wash" that cake, especially if you're going to turn right around and re-pitch into the big batch. Just pour it into a big sanitized jar and pitch it
1.050 gravity for the first batch would be just fine. Also, you can wait until it's done, cold crash it if you want and still harvest that yeast for the second beer. It would not hurt it a bit to go dormant then get re-awaken for a new feast.

Great,thanks! Definitely saves me some time. What would you say about transferring after primary and pitching straight from there? Obviously there will still be yeast in suspension, should I wait for it to flocculate?
 
Great,thanks! Definitely saves me some time. What would you say about transferring after primary and pitching straight from there? Obviously there will still be yeast in suspension, should I wait for it to flocculate?

Unless the first beer is one that you would have a specific reason (like dry hopping, fruit or long-term aging) to secondary, just wait. Let it finish and transfer straight to keg or bottling bucket. Harvest the yeast for the new batch and you're good to go.
 
no offense, but if your brewing 22gals you should not be having questions like this.

making a proper yeast starter in steps with a stir plate is going to be much better.

1.040 really is the max you want to go for, over that your gonna stress the yeast and not have as much yeast as making a lower gravity starter. (this is all strait out of the yeast book whose author is the same guy who made mr.malty)
 
I've made a 10 gallon Oktober fest using a large 5L starter + 2 smack packs and when it finished I made a 10 gallon Mai bock using the same yeast cake, then again used the Mai bock yeast cake for a 10 gallon Dopple bock. I've done this twice now and all 3 beers turned out great. Lagers take time, don't rush anything if you can avoid it.

Castermmt
 
I'd actually use yeastcalculator.com and use K. Troesters calculations. You'll get a smaller amount of yeast, but If you have a stir plate his calculations are as far as I know more accurate (they are at least documented, as Mr Maltys w/stirplate are not). when it comes to stir plates, and from my experience enough yeast.
 
no offense, but if your brewing 22gals you should not be having questions like this.

making a proper yeast starter in steps with a stir plate is going to be much better.

1.040 really is the max you want to go for, over that your gonna stress the yeast and not have as much yeast as making a lower gravity starter. (this is all strait out of the yeast book whose author is the same guy who made mr.malty)

The 1.040 max is in reference to a starter from a small amount of yeast, not making an actual beer using the proper amount of yeast. If the proper amount of healthy yeast is used, they wont be stressed by average gravity wort.

Yup Jamil and Chris White wrote the yeast book. I second the recommendation to use Kai Troester's formulas.
 
Just to write something. A 1L starter with 100g DME will give you a .038 starter, not .040. Close and most probably neglictible but still a different number.

And, may I ask for your OG? Ale or Lager, probably lager?
 
no offense, but if your brewing 22gals you should not be having questions like this.

making a proper yeast starter in steps with a stir plate is going to be much better.

1.040 really is the max you want to go for, over that your gonna stress the yeast and not have as much yeast as making a lower gravity starter. (this is all strait out of the yeast book whose author is the same guy who made mr.malty)

Haha. Non taken. I know all about how to make starters and properly pitch yeast. I had two questions, one of which masonsjax answered for me.
The only other thing I was wondering was if I could/should cold crash the 'starter' before pitching the yeast cake. Which Big Floyd answered for me. Thanks guys! Or girls, no assumptions here.

may I ask for your OG? Ale or Lager, probably lager?

OG will be 1.052. Ale. Man that would be one hell of a pitch for a lager!
 
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