making a starter large enough to use on 3 glass carboys fermenters

[moicel]

I have one stir plate and I plan to use it to do starter for a 15 gallon batch, the problem is that i'm splitting the batch into 3 carboys that i will use as fermenters. what technique should i use, or where can i find more information in order for me to do this. I have to say that this is the first time I do a starter and first time I plan to brew 15 gallons, I've was considering using 3 white lab yeast tubes for the 3 different carboys, but i really want to know if their is a possibility to use a starter and divided into 3 equal parts.

 

[wfowlks]

Is this a lager or ale? If it's an ale I suggest a 1 gallon stater. Or you can use beersmith to calculate the starter needed for one vial of yeast to pitch to 15 gallons. I also recommend using yeast nutrient for that big of a starter. If it's a lager... Well by the vials and do a starter for each.

For more information beyond that Google:
Site:homebrewtalk.com yeast starter calculator

 

[fishnwhistle]

I'd see what mrmalty says, but when I plan a big batch or even a really big beer I usually make a small beer first and harvest and clean that yeast to re-pitch.

 

[moicel]

Sorry, i'm doing and ale and plan to ferment in 3 glass carboys. After doing the starter in a gallong jug, do I split the yeast in 3 equal parts and pitch it in 3 carboys?

 

[MikeInMKE]

I've made big starters that I've split between batches. After your final cold crash, decant off most of the beer, swirl the yeast/trub back into suspension, and then pour that into three sanitized mason jars. That'll at least let you see how well you've divided it three ways before you pitch it into your three carboys.

On brew day, you can add a little wort at a time to the mason jars, swirling to get the yeast off the bottom of the jars, and to get the yeast and the wort to near equal temperatures before dumping the mason jars into your carboys.

 

[Auger]

Thats what I did last time I made a big batch. I made up a 1gal starter, and split the yeast up between the three fermenters.

 

[wfowlks]

I've made big starters that I've split between batches. After your final cold crash, decant off most of the beer, swirl the yeast/trub back into suspension, and then pour that into three sanitized mason jars. That'll at least let you see how well you've divided it three ways before you pitch it into your three carboys.

On brew day, you can add a little wort at a time to the mason jars, swirling to get the yeast off the bottom of the jars, and to get the yeast and the wort to near equal temperatures before dumping the mason jars into your carboys.

2nd, Good thinking with the mason jars to make sure they are equal distribution. One thing that I will also note is that lately I've been getting a lot of hot break silt from using DME starter which looks like yeast but isnt. Cold crash the starter before adding yeast and pour the wort into a clean container which you will be using for growing, to get the hot break out so that you get an accurate gauge of the amount of yeast in each.