Yeast Calculator

[OAE Iceman]

I have a yeast calculator question. After putting in my values on the yeast calculator, it tells me I need a 2 liter starter and to use 7.2 oz of DME. Im guessing I boil 2 liters of water with the 7.2oz of DME and after cooling I add my one smack pack of yeast and then let it do its stuff? Is there a cut off point where only one yeast pack will produce so much starter? If you need a 5 liter starter will one yeast pack work with the additional needed DME? Thanks!

 

[LarryBrewer]

I would start the boil with more like 2.5 or 3 liters of wort, boil it for 15 minutes, or until it hits 2 liters and you'll be set with the right gravity and volume.

There is a field to increase the number of yeast packs you have. Keep in mind the yeast count is based on how old the yeast packs are, starting with 100B cells at the date of manufacture.

Correct, at some point you might as well just pitch into 5 gallons and brew beer! A 5L starter is pretty huge, and I'd decant that, since you don't want the starter 'beer' interfering with your batch characteristics.

 

[OAE Iceman]

Thanks Larry!

 

[BrewHop]

my rule of thumb is 1/2 cup of DME per liter and that has worked out really well for me in the past. I have used calculators to figure out how much in ounces I need but it seemed like my starter actually started fermenting and making beer and I had to wait a few days for it to finish.

I have never made a starter that is more than 3 liters per one packet. It seems a bit extreme to me to go bigger than that. I would either step your starter up and use more packets.

 

[LarryBrewer]

3 liters is all I ever need for a 5.5 gallon batch of lager at 1.5 (M cells / ml / ° P), and if I were going bigger, I would step it up.

 

[OAE Iceman]

Thanks for all the information! I did a 2 liter yeast starter a few days ago and then put it in the fridge overnight, decanted most of the liquid, shook it up and dumped it into my fermenter last night. This morning its fermenting away!

 

[LarryBrewer]

Awesome - yeah with starters lag time is generally really short and fermentation time is shorter too!

 

[BrewHop]

agreed on the lag time, most of my brews are going within 3 hours