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Author Topic: Starter/stir plate 10 gallon batches  (Read 3032 times)

Offline micsager

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Starter/stir plate 10 gallon batches
« on: April 02, 2010, 08:20:00 am »
I've decided to try and "dial in" an american amber ale from JZ and Palmer's book "brewing classic styles"  I have a ten gallon system. 

I have a stir plate, with a 2000ml flask. 

Should I start with two vials or smack packs, or can I grow enough yeast for a 10 gallon batch with only one?

Offline Hokerer

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Re: Starter/stir plate 10 gallon batches
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2010, 09:03:44 am »
You can grow enough yeast from just a single cell if you want so you certainly don't need two smack packs.  It's all about how many times you step up your starter.
Joe

Offline a10t2

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Re: Starter/stir plate 10 gallon batches
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2010, 09:04:58 am »
Are you familiar with the MrMalty calculator?

According to that, 1.8 L on a stirplate will get you up to about 1.040, and with two packs up to about 1.060.
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Offline micsager

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Re: Starter/stir plate 10 gallon batches
« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2010, 08:38:41 pm »
You can grow enough yeast from just a single cell if you want so you certainly don't need two smack packs.  It's all about how many times you step up your starter.

Can descibe "step up" for me.  I get the basics, but do you have specific instructions?

Offline a10t2

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Re: Starter/stir plate 10 gallon batches
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2010, 09:26:49 pm »
Can descibe "step up" for me.  I get the basics, but do you have specific instructions?

Essentially, you do everything the same, but you repeat the steps, increasing the size each time.

Generally you want to pitch a starter around 10-100 million cells/L. So even if you're starting from a very low cell count, say a billion, you could pitch that into about 25 mL of starter wort, let it ferment, then go to 100 mL, then 500 mL, then 2 L, and be back up to what you'd need for full five gallon batch. (Roughly, I didn't bother to do the math.) Which is handy when you need to build back up from an old and/or small slurry, like what would be at the bottom of a bottle. I actually do propagations like that pretty frequently: http://seanterrill.com/2010/03/23/yeast-ranching-and-you/
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Offline micsager

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Re: Starter/stir plate 10 gallon batches
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2010, 09:30:32 am »
Can descibe "step up" for me.  I get the basics, but do you have specific instructions?

Essentially, you do everything the same, but you repeat the steps, increasing the size each time.

Generally you want to pitch a starter around 10-100 million cells/L. So even if you're starting from a very low cell count, say a billion, you could pitch that into about 25 mL of starter wort, let it ferment, then go to 100 mL, then 500 mL, then 2 L, and be back up to what you'd need for full five gallon batch. (Roughly, I didn't bother to do the math.) Which is handy when you need to build back up from an old and/or small slurry, like what would be at the bottom of a bottle. I actually do propagations like that pretty frequently: http://seanterrill.com/2010/03/23/yeast-ranching-and-you/

Thanks Dude, happy brewing.