Multiple packs of lager yeast, no starter...

[Rob2010SS]

The five gallon was a joke.

The three packs is with a good starter...

Wyeast said for a lager, one pack with a starter for a five gallon. You make three times five gallon. Sounds like three packs with a starter to me.

https://wyeastlab.com/making-starter

Ha, sorry. Hard to "read" jokes on the forum.

 

[Gusso]

Ever consider pressurized fermentation for your lagers? I've been Homebrewing for many years but never made a lager until about 6 weeks ago or so because I couldn't control fermentation temps. On my first attempt, I used one pack of 34/70. I then used the yeast cake for 2 more pressurized lagers. All have come out well. I'm extremely pleased with the process. 3 brews on a $4.50 pack of yeast ain't too bad.

 

[Rob2010SS]

I haven't tried that. I've seen little bits here and there about fermenting under pressure, but never really seemed like my cup of tea. Not sure of the pros/cons on that.

I'm curious, is there something about the pressure that allows you to pitch less yeast? It seems like 1 pack would still be an under pitch, no?

I went the other way and spent MORE money LOL. Imperial had a 0.5L pitch of fresh L09 Que Bueno. I'll have it Friday. So problem solved.

 

[Gusso]

Well, one pack for a 5 gallon batch. But yes, being able to ferment at a warmer temp will allow you to use less yeast than at cooler temps. At least that's what I've heard and it has worked for me. The first go around with one packet was less but my next 2 brews had tons of yeast from the cake. Also, I didn't have to clean my fermenter for over a month! Another plus!

 

[IslandLizard]

I went the other way and spent MORE money LOL. Imperial had a 0.5L pitch of fresh L09 Que Bueno. I'll have it Friday. So problem solved.

You were able to get 0.5 liter of that yeast sent to you?
I thought their typical volumes were much higher than that, such as 1L, 4L, 10L, etc.

I'm sure with overnight delivery that must have been quite a tab...

From Imperial's site:
INDUSTRY LEADING PITCH RATES
Our recommendation of 1L/BBL yields a pitch rate of 11 million cells/ml. This pitch rate is higher than any other available in the industry- you'll see shorter lag times, shorter tank residency times, and more consistent fermentations. Healthier yeast yields more re-pitches, higher generations and lower yeast costs.

[My emphasis in red, above]
That pitch rate is 7.3x what our yeast calcs tell us for Lagers: 1.5 million cells/ml.
So that bottle you're getting should be enough for 7 half-barrel pitches, at homebrewer rates?

That half liter must be some pure, concentrated yeast culture!
It makes me wonder about some of the slurries I've been pitching.

 

[Barbarossa]

Ha, sorry. Hard to "read" jokes on the forum.

Yeah I know, I thought the joke was 11 packs for a 15 gallon batch...

 

[VikeMan]

INDUSTRY LEADING PITCH RATES
Our recommendation of 1L/BBL yields a pitch rate of 11 million cells/ml.

That pitch rate is 7.3x what our yeast calcs tell us for Lagers: 1.5 million cells/ml.
So that bottle you're getting should be enough for 7 half-barrel pitches, at homebrewer rates?

I think we're looking at two different kinds of rates here. The 11 million cells/ml is irrespective of gravity. The "standard" 1.5 million cells/ml is actually 1.5 million cells/ml/degree plato.

1.5 million cells/ml/degree plato is equivalent to 11 million cells/ml in a 1.029 wort. So those 11 million cells/ml would actually be an underpitch in a wort bigger than 1.029 (if 1.5 million cells/ml/degree plato is the standard).

 

[Rob2010SS]

You were able to get 0.5 liter of that yeast sent to you?
I thought their typical volumes were much higher than that, such as 1L, 4L, 10L, etc.

I'm sure with overnight delivery that must have been quite a tab...

From Imperial's site:
INDUSTRY LEADING PITCH RATES
Our recommendation of 1L/BBL yields a pitch rate of 11 million cells/ml. This pitch rate is higher than any other available in the industry- you'll see shorter lag times, shorter tank residency times, and more consistent fermentations. Healthier yeast yields more re-pitches, higher generations and lower yeast costs.

[My emphasis in red, above]
That pitch rate is 7.3x what our yeast calcs tell us for Lagers: 1.5 million cells/ml.
So that bottle you're getting should be enough for 7 half-barrel pitches, at homebrewer rates?

That half liter must be some pure, concentrated yeast culture!
It makes me wonder about some of the slurries I've been pitching.

Yeah, I called them and asked what the smallest commercial pitch they offer is. I thought for sure it was going to be 1L but they said they go as small as 0.5L. Since they recommend 1L / BBL and this is a half barrel batch, it was perfect!

I also lucked out in that this isn't a typically stocked strain with them but they happened to have some left over from a recent order.

You are correct, it was an ugly tab. The yeast was $41. Shipping... wait for it.... $105. Ouch!

I think we're looking at two different kinds of rates here. The 11 million cells/ml is irrespective of gravity. The "standard" 1.5 million cells/ml is actually 1.5 million cells/ml/degree plato.

1.5 million cells/ml/degree plato is equivalent to 11 million cells/ml in a 1.029 wort. So those 11 million cells/ml would actually be an underpitch in a wort bigger than 1.029 (if 1.5 million cells/ml/degree plato is the standard).

This is a good catch. I didn't catch that either. We'll see how it performs. Everything I've seen on it, it usually outperforms other yeasts.

 

[BeerFst]

Que Bueno is also their Spring Seasonal again this year, just announced last week. I always thought they had their current seasonal as a regular stocked yeast, but perhaps not.

awesome it worked out, love imperial

 

[IslandLizard]

I think we're looking at two different kinds of rates here. The 11 million cells/ml is irrespective of gravity. The "standard" 1.5 million cells/ml is actually 1.5 million cells/ml/degree plato.

1.5 million cells/ml/degree plato is equivalent to 11 million cells/ml in a 1.029 wort. So those 11 million cells/ml would actually be an underpitch in a wort bigger than 1.029 (if 1.5 million cells/ml/degree plato is the standard).

You're absolutely right: Irrespective of gravity! Which is kinda strange, isn't it? Especially for Lagers, which are much more pitch rate sensitive than ales. Imagine pitching that into a Doppelbock...

Thank you for catching that!

 

[IslandLizard]

Just curious, how is this brew coming along?
Did you pitch all the yeast?

 

[Rob2010SS]

I did. Little bit of a delay from what I was hoping for. I didn’t see activity until 20 hours later. By activity, I mean bubbles coming out of the blowoff tube. It’s in a unitank so I can’t see the beer.
I’m thinking the delay had more to do with me accidentally chilling the yeast to 6F below its temp Range post pitch than anything else. But seems to be ok other than the delay

 

[zacster]

I think at that price I'd have just waited, or considered something else, or maybe just reduced the batch size and used whatever packs I could get locally. Maybe a quick 1 day starter would have been enough. I've done that, I'll put the starter on in the evening, and then brewed a day and a half later in the morning. By the end of the boil it'll be 6 hours later anyway, at least with my setup so really just shy of 2 days. Nobody has ever tasted my beer and said "you didn't use enough yeast"! I know we all have different thresholds of what is acceptable and I consider myself a good amateur brewer.

I only do 5-6 gallon batches and use a single Wyeast pack into a 2liter starter for all of my brews, lagers, ales, higher gravity ales. Beersmith always tells me that it is more than enough.

 

[Rob2010SS]

I think at that price I'd have just waited, or considered something else, or maybe just reduced the batch size and used whatever packs I could get locally. Maybe a quick 1 day starter would have been enough. I've done that, I'll put the starter on in the evening, and then brewed a day and a half later in the morning. By the end of the boil it'll be 6 hours later anyway, at least with my setup so really just shy of 2 days. Nobody has ever tasted my beer and said "you didn't use enough yeast"! I know we all have different thresholds of what is acceptable and I consider myself a good amateur brewer.

I only do 5-6 gallon batches and use a single Wyeast pack into a 2liter starter for all of my brews, lagers, ales, higher gravity ales. Beersmith always tells me that it is more than enough.

We thought about waiting. However, we're trying to hit a date with that one and it would have been uncomfortably close. For us, time is harder to come by so while we're not rich, sometimes the little extra money is worth it in order to save time or make a schedule. To each their own.