First starter from harvested yeast

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

Okay, I am about to make my first starter with some washed yeast. Let me know if these numbers sound good.

45 ml of 1 week old yeast 45*1.2= 54 billion cells. 93% viability makes it +-50 billion cells.

Mix up a 1.5 lt starter with 5.2 oz of DME - cool then pitch yeast. Put on stirplate for 24 hrs.

This should give me approximately 190 Billion cells?

 

[cpl-america]

sounds about right, i would definitely take a gravity of the starter prior to dropping in the washed yeast. i usually do 50 ml, not a big difference.

now i take my yeast samples from starters instead of washing at the end.

 

[alphagolf]

According to Palmer's book starting with 50 billion cells gives 113 billion for a 1qt starter and 153 billion for a 2 qt starter. This assumes 1.040 strength starter. For 1.5 qt you would be about 133 billion. According to his chart you would have to make about 3.5 qt starter to get around your 190 billion cells.

alpha

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

According to Palmer's book starting with 50 billion cells gives 113 billion for a 1qt starter and 153 billion for a 2 qt starter. This assumes 1.040 strength starter. For 1.5 qt you would be about 133 billion. According to his chart you would have to make about 3.5 qt starter to get around your 190 billion cells.

alpha

Interesting. Seems to be a bit of variation depending on which expert you ask. I made my calculation using http://yeastcalc.com/. Maybe I didn't use the calculator properly.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Don't forget, the numbers you start with are all educated guesses, unless you have a microscope and are doing cell counts (which I don't believe many people are doing) I usually do a starter with whatever sample of yeast I harvested from my last starter, ( in a preform) plus 4 cups water and 1 cup DME. If its a really big beer I will then cold crash, decant and re-feed for another generation. I know there's calculations that
can be done, I have just never gone to that length.

 

[alphagolf]

You are using the calculator properly. I assume Palmer's numbers I quoted are without a stir plate as I get about the same result when I adjust the calculator to "shake."

I basically do the same procedure as William. For 1.050s and below I use a jar of washed yeast in a 1 qt starter and just go, no problems with this yet. For higher gravity I will decant and step or make multiple starters depending on how much time I have. I am notorious for not deciding to brew until the day before so I scramble around to get the starter going.