First time Making Yeast starter

[Ale402]

Whats up guys i am debating if i should make a yeast starter for my first lager. i read it has some benefits and it seems pretty easy to do if you have the flask, DME and whatnot. But numbers and calculations just don't make that much sense to me and i am trying to learn the best i can. Maybe someone can help me with this and see how much of what i need to make a starter for my lager.

i am making a 5 gallon batch of beer. My target OG for my lager is 1.051. I looked around and "Brew jacket" says i need about 2.75 Liters (about .75gal) of water and 3 packets of lager yeast. that doesn't seem right for some reason because isn't making a yeast starter supposed to save you money and use less yeast packs? but maybe i am wrong. nor do i want to use 1 pack of yeast and have 2 gallons of a starter in my fridge or have a big enough jar to hold that. so i am asking for help, what the hell do i do to make a yeast starter for a 5 gallon batch for a lager targeted at 1.051 OG?

Thanks guys

 

[Rockn_M]

If your doing a yeast starter then you only need to start off with one vial of yeast. If you don't want to do a starter you would need 3-4 vials or smack packs.

 

[day_trippr]

What calculator was used?

If I put the volume and gravity into http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/, and select Pro Brewer 1.5 (Lager), the result is clear: a starter is needed.

Using the Braukaiser model a 2 liter starter would be fine for achieving the recommended cell count - IF the yeast pack is between 0 and 2 months from its manufacturing date. Add another month and a second step would be required...

Cheers!

 

[Ale402]

What calculator was used?

If I put the volume and gravity into http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/, and select Pro Brewer 1.5 (Lager), the result is clear: a starter is needed.

Using the Braukaiser model a 2 liter starter would be fine for achieving the recommended cell count - IF the yeast pack is between 0 and 2 months from its manufacturing date. Add another month and a second step would be required...

Cheers!

So your saying take 2L of water, boil it with the recommended amount of DME to make an OG of 1.035, pitch one vial of yeast in and shake it whenever I get the chance for about a day or two? I dont have a stir plate if that makes a difference. And as for a second step if I need it do I just make a second starter? Sorry if these are stupid questions I'm just frustrated cause I'm googling a bunch of videos and whatnot and people make it seem so easy where the calculators are telling me other stuff. Like I said I'm not good with numbers and just making sure I do this right. Thanks for the response!

 

[juggabrew]

Yes that would be correct. I think 6oz DME should be accurate. Since you don't have a stir plate, try to mix the starter every hour or so. If you let it sit without shaking you'll end up with far less yeast. If you can make a 3L starter that would be even better. With that amount of starter I would start it up 2 or 3 days prior so you can cold crash the container and decant the spent wort on brew day. If you're getting into yeast I would recommend the yeast book from jamil and Chris white(white labs). Good luck and happy brewing.

 

[jjw5015]

I start by boiling 2L of water and 6 oz DME, that makes about 1.035-1.040. End up with about a 1.6-1.8 L starter. I just did this with 2 packs of saflager 34/70 and it fermented from 1.070 to 1.014 in about a week at 52 degrees. I also save a mason jar of each starter to use for my next batch. I also recommend getting a stirplate. There's cheap DIY options or the stirstarter is about $42 online

 

[Ale402]

Awesome guys this information is great thank you! I'll look into getting the book. If I make a 3L starter would that mean I need 9oz of DME and 3 packs of yeast or is 1-2 packs more than enough for a 2L starter? I'm playing around with the calculators

 

[Ale402]

you know what i think i actually figured it out using the dam calculator. i think i was stressing out because i hate numbers but i actually think i understand it now haha. please check this out and correct me if i am wrong!

batch size: 5 Gallons
Target OG: 1.051
1 pack of yeast (example date: 1/20/17) = 82 billion cells
Cells needed: 358 Billion

Make a starter:
OG of starter 1.036 (Does the gravity for the starter matter? why do we need this info?)

Boil 2L of water with 7.2 oz of DME, cool to fermenting temperature, pitch vial of yeast, shake vigorously either every hour or place on stir plate. How long do i leave on stir plate? or how long do i have to shake it before i place in fridge to separate the yeast? Once starter is made 2-3 days prior to brew day decant liquid and pitch into primary fermentor.

Thats as far as i have gotten with the calculator and all the info you guys gave me. Also do i have to take it out of fridge on brew day to get it to room temp to avoid shock?

 

[jjw5015]

you know what i think i actually figured it out using the dam calculator. i think i was stressing out because i hate numbers but i actually think i understand it now haha. please check this out and correct me if i am wrong!

batch size: 5 Gallons
Target OG: 1.051
1 pack of yeast (example date: 1/20/17) = 82 billion cells
Cells needed: 358 Billion

Make a starter:
OG of starter 1.036 (Does the gravity for the starter matter? why do we need this info?)

Boil 2L of water with 7.2 oz of DME, cool to fermenting temperature, pitch vial of yeast, shake vigorously either every hour or place on stir plate. How long do i leave on stir plate? or how long do i have to shake it before i place in fridge to separate the yeast? Once starter is made 2-3 days prior to brew day decant liquid and pitch into primary fermentor.

Thats as far as i have gotten with the calculator and all the info you guys gave me. Also do i have to take it out of fridge on brew day to get it to room temp to avoid shock?

It's not necessary to refrigerate and decant. You can make the starter 12-24 hrs before brew day, and pitch the entire thing one yeast is at peak fermentation. Everyone does it differently, but this is what I do, and save some for the next batch.