Growing Yeast question

[artwk]

I plan on brewing 3 or 4 batches this weeked. I only have one packet of Nottingham. Is it possible to make 3-4 starters from this one packet for use in a few days?

I've made about 15 batches before....but I don't know a damn thing about yeast. It seems down right silly for me to buy a packet every time I brew.

I've been reading threads and searching, but it has left me in a haze.

Thanks!

 

[rjsnau]

It is possible but will be close time wise. Also you will be estimating your pitch rates which could add some variability to your batches. What I would do is make a 1.5 liter starter and let it go for 24 hours. Then make two more 1.5 liter starter and split the original one between these two starters. Let both of those go for 24 hours. Then chill these two starters and decant most of the liquid. Use about half of each of these starters in each of your batches.

Feel free to check my math... The first starter should about double your yeast count. So from 1 to 2 packets worth of yeast. Then you are re splitting it into two additional starters again doubling it. So you now have 4 times the original yeast and can pitch accordingly.

 

[Hopper5000]

you can't just buy more yeast?

 

[artwk]

I like your idea rjsnau, thanks.

I could easily buy more yeast (just learned by neighbor owns a brew store nearby) but I'm trying to be a cheapskate here.

 

[hopmonster2189]

Id do what the first person said. If you really want to save some dough, research "yeast washing" on this forum, there's a sticky called "yeast washing illustrated" has some great pictures to aid.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

If time is an issue I would not try to crash the starters. If you want, step them up in size without crashing. In my experience stepped starters don't buy you much. The yeast will grow as fast as it will grow. There is no magic in inoculation rates. You'll get about 1 billion cells for every gram of DME you add to the starter. You'll want to keep the gravity below 1.048 or 12°P so the alcohol doesn't get too terribly high, and you'll want to make sure your final cell count isn't going to get above about 300 million per ml. Growth seems to slow down a little at that density.

One package of dry yeast will rehydrate to about 150 billion cells if done correctly. (see here:http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2013/02/rehydrating-safbrew-yeast.html and here: http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-many-cells-are-in-package.html)

How many cells are you looking to generate?