CadiBrewer
Well-Known Member
I have two weeks before I'll be brewing 10 gallons of an ordinary bitter with an OG of 1.040. I have one smack pack of London Ale III, production date of March 19. I have a 2l Erlenmeyer flask but no stir plate yet. When I put the calc into Brewer's friend with a 1L starter and then step up to a 2L starter using the agitation method, it comes up about 10 billion cells short. When I put it in as a 2L starter with a 2L step up, it comes out with enough cells. But I seem to remember reading that the step up should be larger than the original starter. Which method should I use?
Second question is, since I only have the one flask, I was going to boil the first starter in the flask, ferment for a day or so, and then cold crash it in the fridge. I would then boil the wort for the step up in a sauce pan, decant the flask and then pour the wort from the sauce pan into the flask. I would ferment again and cold crash again. On brew day, I would decant and split the starter between my two five gallon buckets.
Does this sound right?
Second question is, since I only have the one flask, I was going to boil the first starter in the flask, ferment for a day or so, and then cold crash it in the fridge. I would then boil the wort for the step up in a sauce pan, decant the flask and then pour the wort from the sauce pan into the flask. I would ferment again and cold crash again. On brew day, I would decant and split the starter between my two five gallon buckets.
Does this sound right?