[69franx]

Brewing this up this weekend.
Targeting his OG of 1.085 and using Imperial Tartan, manufactured on 10/09/18 (19 days old on brew day) Imperial packages 200B cells per pouch. Would you do a 2L starter to get closer to a target cell count of 350B cells, or run with just the one pouch? I have time for a starter, just looking for some thoughts. One round of reproduction gets me awfully close to target cell count even after a couple weeks of shipping and sitting in the LHBS yeast fridge. Thanks in advance, I am expecting to hear make a starter but I do not have much experience with Imperial, especially now in these pouches rather than the cans.

[brewinhard]

Have not used the imperial packages, but with a big OG like that I would probably make a starter with it.

Either a 2L starter OR you could always try a vitality starter with it on brewday so the yeast is at least actively fermenting when you pitch it into your wort.

[69franx]

Thatsz pretty much what I figured,  andx I am targeting 5.5 gallons into the fermenter rather than the 12 his recipe calls for

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[Chris S]

Last time I brewed this one (5/30/18), I used a 2-litre starter with the 1728. I fermented on the low end of the strain, so it was a l'il sluggish at first, but the result was some outtasight beer. Managed to save a few for a seasonally responsible tipple.

I've only used the Imperial (Harvest) once; that beer is in its "lagering" phase, so no report...

[69franx]

Thanks Chris, looks like I will be making that 2 liter starter, likely while strike water is heating, should be ready by the time everything is properly chilled. The plan is to do this no sparge, and parti-gyle a smaller Scottish for a second batch, maybe adding another ounce of the roasted barley to make sure to get some color in the small beer

[69franx]

Last time I brewed this one (5/30/18), I used a 2-litre starter with the 1728. I fermented on the low end of the strain, so it was a l'il sluggish at first, but the result was some outtasight beer. Managed to save a few for a seasonally responsible tipple.

I've only used the Imperial (Harvest) once; that beer is in its "lagering" phase, so no report...

See thats my sticking point. A 2 liter starter of 1728 gets you to where my pouch should be starting, roughly 200B cells. After re-reading your post, I have to think again, starter never hurts as long as you're sanitary in handling I guess

[Chris S]

Yeah: with that gravity target a starter is good insurance, in my experience. And, like you say, just keep it free from the bugs you don't want!

[MNWayne]

Every time I use a smack pack straight from the pack it seems to take longer to get going compared to using something built up. Although I never used a pack that fresh. I'd build.

[69franx]

Yes that looks like the plan

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[69franx]

So, I guess I had forgotten what making a big beer looks like.
In the end, the one pouch of Imperial, with a 2 liter starter (almost) seems like plenty when this fresh
The brew day went very well, shot for 60% efficiency, based on prior experience and no sparge.
Wound up with initial Tilt and standard hydrometer readings of 1.102 versus the 1.085 I was targeting, so actually ran right around 73%.
     Made the 2 liter starter about 2 hours into brew day, as I had forgotten about it at the start of the day. Then continued the brew. At one point, I had 3 burners going, with the main batch, the first gallon being reduced, and the second runnings for a small Scottish (capped the mash with 3# Golden Promise and another 2oz Roasted Barley, OG of 1.043). Really kept me on my toes for a couple hours there.
Once the boils were finished and chilled as much as I could with my Hydra, I placed both fermenters into my temp controlled chest freezer and waited for them to reach pitching temp of 64°. Not long after, I came down with the starter for the big batch, and gave it a swirl to get it moving. It gushed out of the gallon jug I had it in at the time. Lucking I was standing next to the freezer at the time and was able to get most of it into the fermenter. Signs of fermentation before bed on Sunday night, just about 6 hours after pitching.
     I had been getting higher than expected temps from the Tilt in the Traquair batch, while the small Scottish was in line with the temp controller on the freezer. My temp sensor for the controller was taped to the Traquair batch and it was running about where I wanted it. I went to work as normal, and then last night I opened the freezer to figure out why the one Tilt was reading 3-4° higher than the other. So glad I checked, it had clogged the 3 piece airlock and blown it out of the fermenter. There was about 2 cups worth of yeast and wort pooled on top of the fermenter, and a large splash mark on the ceiling of the freezer, and probably another 2 cups worth sitting on the bottom of the freezer. The fermenter is 7.9 gallons, I put 5.75 gallons of wort plus the 2 liter starter (total right around 6 gallons) in there. Seemed like it should have been plenty of room to work...
     So, now I remember what a blow off tube is ( so many well behaved lagers in the last 2 years.) I think I can also testify to the freshness and vitality of a 19 day old Imperial yeast pouch of Tartan. Thanx for all the suggestions and sorry I am not here as often as in the past. Brew happy my friends

[69franx]

No previous experience with Imperial Yeast's Tartan, but that stuff ripped through both of these brews. Brewed on Sunday and the Traquair house in already down below projected FG, sitting at 1.027 while BSII projected 1.029. The smaller beer is down from 1.043 to 1.013 in the same 3 day time span! Both in the same temp controlled chest freezer set at 64.
I had used the called for 1728 last year for a Scottish Export strength ale, but even with 2 packs (that did not swell) but had no luck as they never even got started on the batch. (So I have no real experience with Wyeast 1728 but would not hesitate to use the Imperial Tartan again, its a beast.) I had to resort to a substitute 3 days post pitch. Lets call that an American Scottish Export Ale due to the handy and on hand US05 that came to the rescue.