Rack onto starter?

[redbeard2687]

So I will be brewing my first lager later this week(.055 Oktoberfest), and had a few questions. This will be the biggest starter I've ever made (was planning on at least 64 ounces). The problem I have is that the vessel I use for starters is only half a gallon. Would I be able to make a big starter with on vial of yeast in a carboy and just rack onto it once my beer got down to temperature?

Also I bought a O2 kit. Do I just run the stone for 60 sec once I have pitched yeast?

I ordered a stir plate, but it is on back order. Will this make a big difference in starter quality?

 

[Hermit]

If you made the starter correctly then you don't want to pitch onto it. You want to decant the liquid first.

 

[jbaysurfer]

So I will be brewing my first lager later this week(.055 Oktoberfest), and had a few questions. This will be the biggest starter I've ever made (was planning on at least 64 ounces). The problem I have is that the vessel I use for starters is only half a gallon. Would I be able to make a big starter with on vial of yeast in a carboy and just rack onto it once my beer got down to temperature?

Also I bought a O2 kit. Do I just run the stone for 60 sec once I have pitched yeast?

I ordered a stir plate, but it is on back order. Will this make a big difference in starter quality?

Ideally you want to decant the liquid. If you propagate your starter at ferm temps though, you can do it the way you mention. It will take longer to propagate at those temps, but you won't have to cold crash.

If you want to go the decanting route, make your 2L (half gallon roughly) starter. Ferment it out. Cold crash it for a couple of days. Decant the wort and leave the yeast cake behind. Pitch a 2nd 2L starter on the yeast cake (use good yeast handling practices paying attention to temperature and sanitation of course), ferment that out. Decant..and pitch...or ferment it at normal lager temps and pitch onto it in your carboy.

 

[redbeard2687]

Yeah I was planning on decanting.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Yeah I was planning on decanting.

You were gonna decant from the carboy? Or you mean you're now planning on decanting from your 1/2G vessel? If the latter, just do two steps and you'll be in great shape.

 

[jbaysurfer]

On the o2 stone. 30seconds is probably enough, 60 won't hurt though. Stirplate: it will help you get more yeast cells from a given starter size and generally speaking it will accelerate the speed of a starter. An acceptable substitute until yours arrives is to shake the crap out of the starter every hour (or really, every time you walk by it if that's more frequent).