ADVICE 20 gal batch

[moffatt163]

So I just brewed a 20 Gal batch yesterday and did a yeast starter instead of buying like 8 vials of yeast. I asked the guy at the shop who has given me great advice over the years. He said I could use 2 vials of White Labs Cal Ale and do a 2000mL starter for 20 gallons of wort. I told him I expect to be in the 1.060's somewhere and he said that was fine. Turns out I managed to hit 1.074. BeerSmith's yeast starter tool makes me think I have under pitched and I'm worried. I miscalculated the sparge and boil off rates slightly so I ended up with 17.5 gallons in the fermenters. Is this enough yeast for that much wort at 1.074? If not should I pitch more? My searching has yielded different schools of thought about starters etc so I figured I'd put my specific scenario on here. I looked at MrMalty and that makes me feel I under pitched as well. As a side note...the instructions from MoreBeer where I got the starter kit recommends the 2000mL for 10 to 20 gallon batches. Help!

 

[grathan]

Should be fine. I think it is what it is as this point. You don't mention the date on the yeast vials or how well you aerated the wort though or if you used a stir-plate.

I am not sure if 2 vials makes more yeast in a 2L starter than 1 vial would have.


In the future I would stay closer to MrMalty though. I use 2L starters in 5 gallon batches.

 

[moffatt163]

10/10/13 is the date and White Labs puts that four months out so 6/10/13? And I don't have a stir plate but was recommended to swirl the wort as frequently as possible which I did. Visible fermentation started within 10 hours. I'm not in a hurry and I know that 80% of the fermentation will happen quickly so I will take hydrometer readings in a week or so. I want to get down to as close to 1.010 as possible. If it stalls is there any benefit to adding more yeast in a small starter?

Thanks for the reply

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

If fermentation has already started, there's no use adding more yeast now.

Either way, you're probably fine...

 

[moffatt163]

Thanks, I just manage to stress myself out

 

[DoWBrewer]

If you are doing 20 gallon batches, I think it is worth harvesting your yeast. That will allow you to do a large starter next time without spending so much money. I think I would move up to a 4-liter starter for 20 gallons. I have been harvesting for the last four batches and I am very happy with the results.

 

[moffatt163]

UPDATE - The airlocks showed activity for a full 10 days and today I took my first hydrometer reading and it's down from 1.074 to 1.016. Day after tomorrow I will be transferring to secondary for two weeks then bottling. I imagine after secondary it should be close to 1.010

Thanks for the advice, and DoWBrewer I will eventually start harvesting yeast...which will probably result in another thread lol

 

[etrain666]

Bottling 20 gallons? Oof.

 

[day_trippr]

Bottling 20 gallons? Oof.

Did that once. Happened to be the hottest day of 2010 but I shut the windows and turned off the AC to keep airborne critters to a minimum. Thought I was gonna sweat to death halfway through. Ordered parts to build my keezer the next day...

Cheers!

 

[Transamguy77]

UPDATE - The airlocks showed activity for a full 10 days and today I took my first hydrometer reading and it's down from 1.074 to 1.016. Day after tomorrow I will be transferring to secondary for two weeks then bottling. I imagine after secondary it should be close to 1.010

Thanks for the advice, and DoWBrewer I will eventually start harvesting yeast...which will probably result in another thread lol

I used to bottle 10 gallon batches......I had help either by my kids or some friends who would come over for a brew day and I would show them "the whole process". Anyway bottling roughly 9 cases will be a project I hope you will have help.

+1 for yeast washing, it has saved me a ton of money over the last few years especially after to moving up to 10 gallon batches.

 

[moffatt163]

Yeah it will be quite an adventure. I'll be recruiting help but I like to bottle because I give out a lot of beer and it's not convenient to have it all in kegs at the house. I take it to friends' bbq etc and it just works out better. Moving to secondary today...pretty excited about the results. Thanks again