Pitching yeast starter - critique my method

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Delaney

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Hey,

I want to make a yeast starter using my Wyeast Octoberfest Lager Blend. I will preparing yeast for 14.5 gallons of beer. I will be pitching 2/3 of my yeast starter onto a 9.5 gallon batch of octoberfest lager, and 1/3 of my yeast starter onto a 5 gallon batch of vienna lager.

required pitch rate:12 million yeast cells/ml

My method:
-pitch yeast onto 0.5 gallon wort @70F (SG 1.040)
-ferment 36 hours
-siphon 3 gallons of wort @ 70F (SG 1.040 into) onto starter, agitate
-ferment for 3-4 days

the resulting yeast starter should have a final pitch rate of 11.95 million cells/ml for 14.5 gallons of wort.

-decant beer from yeast cake with siphon
-add 0.5L of sterile water @ 70F, and stir yeast into a slurry
-pour yeast cake slurry into sterile measuiring container
-pitch 1/3 yeast cake slurry onto 5 gallons of Vienna Lager wort
-pour 2/3 of yeast cake slurry onto 9.5 gallons of Octoberfest Lager wort


Is this method acceptable?
 
I'm also considering using Wyeast Kolsch (56-70 F) as opposed to Octoberfest Lager blend...If I do, I assume I would still need 12 million cells/ml for a fermentation temp of 55F? Kolsch yeast cells remain in suspension, so I assume I would need to cold crash the starter before decanting?
 
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