Pitching Rate

[Evan!]

Question for stirplaters: For 5-6 gal. batches, what size flask(s) do you consider essential? I assume it's worth it to get a nice flask that you can heat and has a flat bottom?

Regardless of batch size, you should get the biggest you can find/afford. Not only are boilovers very VERY quick and nasty in the flask, but if you ever decide to go bigger or are making a very high-OG batch, it's nice to have. Personally, I see no reason to get anything smaller than 4000mL...optimally, you should get the 5000mL like I did. It's only ~$35, and you'll be very happy you have the extra volume.

 

[Bsquared]

Regardless of batch size, you should get the biggest you can find/afford. Not only are boilovers very VERY quick and nasty in the flask, but if you ever decide to go bigger or are making a very high-OG batch, it's nice to have. Personally, I see no reason to get anything smaller than 4000mL...optimally, you should get the 5000mL like I did. It's only ~$35, and you'll be very happy you have the extra volume.

+1 bigger is better, but also with a lager flask, you have more surface area and better gas exchange, which will give you more and healthier yeast for pitching. Though with the stir bar set up, you will be doing way better with what ever size flask you choose.

I found my 6000ml Erlenmeyer one on ebay for 40 including shipping.

 

[Droot]

I can't see any bigger than a 2 Litre flask, but to each his own.

1 litre is supposed to be big enough for a 5 gallon batch of regular gravity, I do some 11 gallon batches, so I went to a 2 litre.

The 2 good things about a stir plate is you get MORE YEAST (double) from the same size starter and it seems to be twice as fast. I used to get my starter ready 3 to 5 days before brewing now all I need is 1 to 2 days.

I been hanging around here too much....

BUT my brewing has improved!

David

 

[RBlagojevich]

Wow -- I can't believe the size of the starters some of you folks pitch. I rarely make a beer less than 8% ABV, and I always make a 12oz starter in a beer bottle. I've never had yeast-related off-flavors and I've never had a stuck fermentation.

Then again, I mainly brew belgian styles where esters etc are desirable -- I'm looking for flavor from the yeast, not transparency.

The Mr. Malty pitching rate calculator seems insane to me.

 

[SavageSteve]

I use a 2000 ml flask, but I'm looking to get a 3000 ml one so I can make up to a 2.8 liter starter if I need it... I've been using older yeast lately, so the bigger starter helps get me to Mr. Malty's recommended cell count. In fact, I probably "underpitched" my last two batched because I didn't have enough room to make the 2.5 liter starter his calculator said to make. I'm not worried, though.

-Steve

 

[enderwig]

The last lager I brewed was 1.046 and required a 3 liter starter on a stir plate, without the stir plate is was something like 5 or 6 liters.
For what its worth, I plan my brews 2 or 3 at a time, the first one low gravity, low hop and light color. Then I wash that yeast for the next brew, medium gravity, hops, and color. On the third time I wash it and brew the big boy, RIS, IPA, Doppelbock, what have you. It works out well and cuts down on the starters that I have to make.