What to do, making a starter with harvested yeast.

[BrewerofBeer]

Need your help guys. I have harvested some yeast from a previous batch, which was about a month ago. I used the harvesting yeast illutstrated method from bernie brewer. I produced 4pints jars that have a nice slurry of yeast in each.
Anyway i am making a 10g batch on saturday which will be fermented in 2 carboys. I was planning on making a 2l starter to be split, but i think it wont be enough. Unfortanetly i will only have enough dme to make a 3L starter. I only have 3cups of dme. Thats the right amount? 1 cup per liter? So here are my questions. Will 3L starter be enough? If so since i have 2 1gallon jugs should i just make a 1.5 L in each? Also if 3 L is enough should i add the slurry from 2pints, 1 into each 1g jug? I hope this makes since. I am planning on making the starter tomorrow afternoon and then pitching the whole thing around 24hr later, if my brew session ends around then. The yeast is 1056 and im making an ale with an OG of 1.048 or so. Thx in advance.

 

[djsethall]

Dude, 2L is more than enough to ferment out 10 gallons. I use a 1L starter for my 12.5 gallon batches and have activity in the airlock within 4 hours of pitching. I know the mrmalty calculator will tell you different, but as a voice of experience, don't worry about it too much.

 

[JSomps6]

I would follow MrMalty. Get yourself some more DME! Yeah, one vial that is a year old will ferment a 12 gallon batch, but it won't be the best beer it could be. Like Jamil says, beer is made in the ferment. A few dollars more and you could have a beer that is a lot better than if you under pitch and cause the yeast to reproduce too many times causing off flavors...

 

[damdaman]

For a 1.048 beer I'm of the opinion a 3L starter split between two 5gal batches will be plenty. Mr. Malty agrees. 1.3L starter for a 1.048 5gal batch. Remember over-pitching is not a good idea either.

If I were you I would create two separate starters with two jars of the harvested yeast so you don't have to worry about accidentally pitching more yeast in one batch.

 

[djsethall]

IMHO, you truly don't know how much yeast you have unless you were to do a cell count with a hemocytometer and a microscope. I have invested in both and I gotta tellya, it really makes a difference when figuring yeast pitching rates.

 

[BrewerofBeer]

Well i think im going to do the 3L starter. Split it, with 1.5 in each gallon jug. I will also put in the slurry from a pint into each. The slurry looks good and pretty thick so i think putting that into a 1.5 starter should be ok. I will put it all in which should be pretty active by the time i pitch.