I am going to try my hand at a yeast starter today. Every calculator I have suggest that I use 2 packs of WY1098 (packaged 2.12.13) to get my desired 266.8 billion. I only bought one pack. Is it possible to grow 300 billion from 100 billion, or should I head back to my LHBS before snowpocalypse hits and pick up another pack?
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homebrewdad
Well-Known Member
Not a problem - just step up your starter. I just did this for the first time.
Basically, you make one smaller starter, let it complete. Chill it in the fridge for a day or two. Decant (i.e. pour the liquid off and keep the solid yeast).
Now, make a bigger starter on top of the existing yeast.
Basically, you make one smaller starter, let it complete. Chill it in the fridge for a day or two. Decant (i.e. pour the liquid off and keep the solid yeast).
Now, make a bigger starter on top of the existing yeast.
Excellent!!!! I asked a ton of questions, then went and watched a video on stepping up yeast!
Thank you so much for the help!
homebrewdad
Well-Known Member
There are calculators online to help with this, but I find that they differ wildly on the prediced yeast.
I just did this with an older vial of yeast (about two weeks from the White Labs "best by" date). I did a 1.5 liter starter, followed by what ended up as an almost 3 liter starter.
I decanted the most of the second starter before I pitched, dropping it down to about 1 liter of fluid.
Note that I did everything else that I could for it - I used yeast fuel, I used pure O2 for aeration. I had visible activity in just over two hours after pitching, so I'm feeling really good about this batch (steadily bubbling away as I type).
Yeah, there are diminishing returns; you'll only get so much yeast out of each starter, but again, the calculators really vary on just what you'll get. I would think that if you follow a similar path to mine, you'll end up with plenty of yeast.
I just did this with an older vial of yeast (about two weeks from the White Labs "best by" date). I did a 1.5 liter starter, followed by what ended up as an almost 3 liter starter.
I decanted the most of the second starter before I pitched, dropping it down to about 1 liter of fluid.
Note that I did everything else that I could for it - I used yeast fuel, I used pure O2 for aeration. I had visible activity in just over two hours after pitching, so I'm feeling really good about this batch (steadily bubbling away as I type).
Yeah, there are diminishing returns; you'll only get so much yeast out of each starter, but again, the calculators really vary on just what you'll get. I would think that if you follow a similar path to mine, you'll end up with plenty of yeast.
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