Pitch Rates

[schmahly]

I have to ask about pitch rates. Is it true... that if I have a lager at OG 1.056. 11 gallons. Is it correct that I would need like 13 packets of Saflager W-34/70??? I mean if you are going to pitch the yeast addiquently would this insane number of packets be correct? Doing the calculations. W-34 shows there is 6 billion cells per gram and brewersfriend calculator shows I need 862 Billion cells.

 

[Sammy86]

No...since there isn't an exact number known as to how many cells there are in dry yeasts think of it this way...

For 34/70 for a 5 gal batch of 1.050 you pitch 2 so double that for 11.

Ive done 4 packs on a 12 gallon 1.052 batch of Pilsner and didn't have any issues.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

W-34 shows there is 6 billion cells per gram

Where did that info come from? I generally follow the advice that the 11.5 g packs from Fermentis are around 200B cells. That would put them at around 17B per gram. I am not much of a lager brewer, but I would feel confident pitching 4 packs into 11 gals of a cool fermented 1.056 wort.

 

[schmahly]

It came from the yeasts data sheet. It just blows my mind that even in books they tell you to pitch this specific or close to it of yeast but when you do the math its some absurd number.

 

[Jag75]

That seems like a lot to me . I brew 2bbl batches and use 12 packs . This is with ales. b With lagers you want a nice starter but 13 packs for 11 gallons, dang!

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

not sure I should be doing math late in the evening

https://fermentis.com/en/product/saflager-w-34-70/

• (hl is 100 liters).
• pitch 0.8 to 1.2 grams (of yeast) / liter.
• 11 gal = 41.6 liters;
• package contains 11.5 grams of yeast.
• 0.8 * 41.6 / 11.5 = 2.89 packages
• 1.2 * 41.6 / 11.5 = 4.34 packages

Inside the technical data sheet (PDF), there are some additional dosage guidelines: