Temperature for pitching liquid lager yeast

[PokerDad]

I'm preparing to brew my first lager, after 2-3 years of brewing ales. I have a temperature controlled fermentation fridge so I'm confident about that part of it.

The recipe calls for initial fermentation temperature of 52 degrees F, and John Palmer's book "How to Brew" instructs me to pitch the yeast at the fermentation temperature, so it won't be shocked. I know this can be done via a starter, but I bought liquid yeast (Wyeast #2308), which has its own "smack pack" activation, sort of a mini starter. The packet instructs me to activate it at 70 degrees F, so I'm trying to figure out how I would do so and still pitch into the batch of wort at 52 degrees. Do you recommend activating at 70, letting it go for a few hours, then slowly lowering the packet temp to 52? Or should I be pouring it into a larger starter that I gradually lower over 12-24 hours? Thanks.

 

[Miraculix]

I'm preparing to brew my first lager, after 2-3 years of brewing ales. I have a temperature controlled fermentation fridge so I'm confident about that part of it.

The recipe calls for initial fermentation temperature of 52 degrees F, and John Palmer's book "How to Brew" instructs me to pitch the yeast at the fermentation temperature, so it won't be shocked. I know this can be done via a starter, but I bought liquid yeast (Wyeast #2308), which has its own "smack pack" activation, sort of a mini starter. The packet instructs me to activate it at 70 degrees F, so I'm trying to figure out how I would do so and still pitch into the batch of wort at 52 degrees. Do you recommend activating at 70, letting it go for a few hours, then slowly lowering the packet temp to 52? Or should I be pouring it into a larger starter that I gradually lower over 12-24 hours? Thanks.

You still need a starter with that one anyway.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

I dont use wyeast but I'd activate it at 70f like it instructed, then pitch it into a starter at room temp. Allow time for it to chew up the starter and multiply, then put it in the fridge for a couple days so you can decant the liquid off the top of your nice healthy bed of yeast, leaving just enough liquid to swirl the yeast off the bottom. Do that last step when you start your boil, and leave it out of the fridge so it can warm up into the 50s and pitch it when your wort is cooled. That would be my approach.

 

[PokerDad]

Thanks, @bailey mountain brewer , that also aligns with Palmer's suggestion on starters. I'm glad I'm asking on Monday so I can get going and have it fully fermented, settled and ready to decant for the weekend brew day!

 

[Miraculix]

Thanks, @bailey mountain brewer , that also aligns with Palmer's suggestion on starters. I'm glad I'm asking on Monday so I can get going and have it fully fermented, settled and ready to decant for the weekend brew day!

Nothing beats recognizing on brew day that one forgot to start the starter .

Pro tip: Always keep some fitting dry yeasts around for the styles you brew most often.

Or just Nottingham. Cannot imagine a recipe that it would not turn into a good beer.

 

[jdauria]

While you will smack the pack at room temp, I would put in the fridge for like 30 minutes before piching. However, just so you are aware, lagers need on average 3 times more yeast due to the cold fermentation. 1 pack of Wyeast without making a starter, is no where close enough, unless maybe you are doing a 1 gallon batch. For example, using the yeast pitch and starter calculator on Brewers Friend, a 5 gallon batch of 1.050 lager, at the minimum lager pitch rate of 1.5 (million cells/ml/degrees Plato) needs 352 billion cellls. A Wyeast pack if packaged today would only have 100 billion cells and the older the pack is, the less yeast in it. Per the same calculator, it would take a 1.7 Liter 1.040 starter on a stir plate to build up to 352 billion cells.

The pouch in the smack pack will give the yeast a little nurtrients to start feeding, but it's not really going to grow the yeast that much.

 

[MaxStout]

Pro tip: Always keep some fitting dry yeasts around for the styles you brew most often.

Or just Nottingham. Cannot imagine a recipe that it would not turn into a good beer.

This.

A couple packets each of Nottingham and 34/70 kept in the fridge will provide an "emergency repair kit" in the event something goes south with your main yeast. It won't be quite the same as what you intended, but it will save your brew and you'll have beer.

Also, if your fermentation gets stuck one of those will come in handy to re-pitch.

 

[PokerDad]

While you will smack the pack at room temp, I would put in the fridge for like 30 minutes before piching. However, just so you are aware, lagers need on average 3 times more yeast due to the cold fermentation. 1 pack of Wyeast without making a starter, is no where close enough, unless maybe you are doing a 1 gallon batch. For example, using the yeast pitch and starter calculator on Brewers Friend, a 5 gallon batch of 1.050 lager, at the minimum lager pitch rate of 1.5 (million cells/ml/degrees Plato) needs 352 billion cellls. A Wyeast pack if packaged today would only have 100 billion cells and the older the pack is, the less yeast in it. Per the same calculator, it would take a 1.7 Liter 1.040 starter on a stir plate to build up to 352 billion cells.

The pouch in the smack pack will give the yeast a little nurtrients to start feeding, but it's not really going to grow the yeast that much.

Yep. The BeerSmith starter calculator is helpful, too. By doing a starter, I can get by with 1 pack of liquid yeast and it will propagate to the needed count of yeast cells. At least that's the plan. But I like the suggestions about having dry packets of Nottingham and 34/70 on hand, too.

 

[Jag75]

Have you done shakin not stirred (SNS) starters before? This was a game changer for me.

 

[PokerDad]

Have you done shakin not stirred (SNS) starters before? This was a game changer for me.

I don't own a stir plate, so my starter will definitely be shaken

 

[MaxStout]

I don't own a stir plate, so my starter will definitely be shaken

You don't need one. A Mason jar on the counter works. Cover the mouth loosely with sanitized foil. Every time you walk by, give it a swirl.

 

[jdauria]

Have you done shakin not stirred (SNS) starters before? This was a game changer for me.

SNS starters are great! It's amazing how the starter wort actually smells like beer vs stir plate starters that always smell weird to me. My only problem is where I only do 2.5 gallon batches these days, a 1 liter SNS starter for an ale is a lot to pour fully in 2.5 gallons of wort, let alone the recommended 2 liter SNS starter for lagers. I suppose I could cut back to 1/2 liter for ales, liter for lagers due to my smaller batch sizes, but I use cans of Propper Starter wort, would need to figure out a way to save half the can while still keeping it santizied. Time to get some mason jars maybe.

 

[PokerDad]

Palmer's book says if you don't want the volume -- and the flavor(s) -- of the starter wort to influence your batch of beer, you can refrigerate the starter after it's done with its peak fermentation (2 days?) and let the yeast settle out. Then on pitch day you can pour off most of the wort and just pitch the yeast slurry that remains at the bottom of the starter vessel. That's what I plan to do. 3 liter lager yeast starter in a 1 gallon mason jar for a 3 gallon batch of Festbier, but I will pour off most of the starter before pitching. Make the starter Day 1, refrigerate on Day 3, pitch on Day 5. My only concern is the air that gets sucked into the starter vessel when I refrigerate it, same as cold crashing, but on a smaller scale. I think I won't sweat it. Very little headspace in the 1 gallon mason jar.

 

[FogHTX]

My only concern is the air that gets sucked into the starter vessel when I refrigerate it, same as cold crashing, but on a smaller scale. I think I won't sweat it. Very little headspace in the 1 gallon mason jar.

You don't need to be concerned about suck-back on cold crash. Starters are done without an airlock (just a loose covering to keep debris out) as we want to maximize oxygen ingress and aerobic growth as much as possible as this promotes maximum yeast growth and health. The minor oxidation of the starter as it potentially moves to anerobic activity during cold crash won't have any impact - particularly if you're pouring off the majority of liquid.