8 vials of yeast???

[Brew_Meister]

I need some help figuring out what to do with my starter for my upcoming brew.
Batch Size: 5.25
Brew OG : 1.066
Starter: Intermittent shaken
Yeast: Pacman (date is 6/1/11 which is creating the issue here, its giving me a viability of 10%)

According to Mr Malty:
# yeast cells: 239 billion (no issue with this)
# vials needed with starter: 8 (I am not pitching 8 vials of yeast)
# liters: 2.22

My plan is to make a 3 liter starter with my 1 vial of pacman, let it go for a few days, cool, decant and pitch the slurry. Will this give me enough yeasties to do their work or do I really need 8 vials of yeast? What would you do?

Cheers!

 

[Phunhog]

I found this calculator https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/calculator-stepped-starters-276842/ I like it much better than Mr. Malty.

 

[Phunhog]

Really you need to either buy more yeast or step up the one vial you do have. 1 six month old vial isn't going to do the job....at least not in a timely fashion. I would step up the starter.

 

[Brew_Meister]

That calculator rocks! :rockin:

So I should start with a 2L starter and step up to a 3L starter then I should end up with 267 billion cells, correct?

Not my first starter by any means, but first time stepping up. Seems simple enough, just begin with normal 2L starter with yeast vial, let ferment for about 24 hours, chill for 24 hrs, decant then start again with 3L starter and previous slurry.

Cheers