Making a big yeast starter

[bctdi]

What size batch and what yeast are you going to use?

It's a 5 gal batch, and using high gravity trappist yeast..... It'll be a tripel

 

[samc]

Just a question here, I`m getting ready to do a 1.076 beer.Would it be ok to just do a 3 quart starter right from the beginning instead of stepping up?I`m not sure of the benefit of stepping up vs just doing a big starter.I have never stepped up a starter, but was looking into doing so, but I want to try to avoid that if possible to reduce to chances of infection.Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

That's the way I do it. I've been using one White Labs vial and making 4L starters in one shot for 10 gallon batches. A small amount of yeast nutrient, stir plate and I get a furiously fermenting starter which I decant and pitch.

 

[dstar26t]

For Belgians, I use 1 million cells per mL per degree plato, which is not what mrmalty recommends for ales, closer to what it calculates for hybrids. I read somewhere that one or some Belgian breweries pitch that rate and I tried it and liked the results.

 

[longke]

I'd suggest using a foam stopper on that erlenmeyer to let more oxygen in.

 

[dstar26t]

Got a 7L starter going for a BDS with 4 packs of Wyeast 3787. That krausen formed even with the recommended dosage of fermcap-s.

 

[Hoptimistic]

Based on what you're doing, I'm guessing that you could use the 5 L flask for any size starter, right? Where did you find the flask? I'm having trouble locating one that big and it seems it would be cheapest to just buy and use one large flask for everything.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CFSEUI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[scratchchance]

I use imperial yeast exclusively now after having many issues with Wyeast. I do 4 cups of water to 1 cup light DME and leave on stir plate for 2 days. My last Belgian golden strong blew up so much I lost at least a gallon in blowoff.

 

[McMullan]

Never had any issues with yeast provided by Wyeast, to be fair. Even after being shipped to Europe. They kind of helped, along with White Labs, to innovate the market for home brewers. I find all the late comers too big on crafty marketing spiel, including dull online anti-marketing tactics. It just makes me not want to buy their products even more.

 

[sampling6391]

Given the age of the thread (14+ years old) it is interesting how far the yeast market has really come…also how cheap a 5L flask used to be…