So I guess I'm rather new here so I hope it's ok to start a thread here, I think it might be more useful than the written records I keep.
Today trying a stepped starter for the first time since the packs of Lallemand diamond yeast I have are not even remotely close to the pitch rate I'm looking for the two lagers I'm looking to do this weekend. I had thought of just doing one but if I'm going to tie up my fermenting fridge for weeks at a low temperature I thought I might as well make best use of it and do two lots of 23 litres. These are AG kits from geterbrewed, a light lager and a Bohemian pils lager. Both are supplied with 11g of diamond lager yeast which would at best give me 0.34M cells / mL / °P rather than the 1.5M I'm targeting which seems like a recipe for diacetyl disaster. A single stage starter would need a rather large volume, so instead I'm going to do 2 x 1.75 litre, chill, decant and then 2x 2.5 litre starter (in bigger demijohns) which by this calculator Yeast Pitch Rate and Starter Calculator - Brewer's Friend gives me 1.58M for the stronger one and more than enough for the lighter - so can take 500ml off the latter and play with trying to keep it viable in the fridge while the lager does its thing then bring it out to add after decanted to the final wort for bottling to assist carbonation. All good in theory
.
In practice so far
For each 22g yeast
Dissolved 27.5g Go Ferm Protect in 500ml boiling water (yes I know it should have been 550ml but my flask was only 500ml), then cooled to 30 deg C
Added yeast allowed to passively cool for 15 - 20min to 21 deg - light foam already
Boiled up 3 litre wort with 287g DME for 10min - cooled to 26 deg
Divided the wort and yeast suspension between the two jars for a volume of 1.75 l each leaving at room temp - 22 deg approx
V active foam within 2 hours
So far made the two starters and aware that the bottles are a wee bit small for the starter volume with foam, just will have to be careful shaking them (no I've not invested in a stir plate... but it's on the Christmas list).
I used Go Ferm protect to aid rehydration of the yeast, partly because I had some anyway and partly because Lallemand recommend it for rehydration of this yeast on their data sheet. My concern is that it doesn't properly dissolve so will always be part of the yeast mix all the way through including in the 500ml I keep back for bottling and which may end up in the bottles - going to have to have a think about that one !
Also I should really be leaving them somewhere a bit warmer even as a lager yeast starter, but my fermentation fridge is currently cold crashing a Citra pale ale which I'll need out of there by Saturday.
Next step chill tomorrow night overnight - should give it 36 hours to multiply this time, then on Thursday make up to 2nd starter. Slight problem is that I work all day on Thursday including the evening, so I'll make up the wort on Wednesday and seal the demijohns till I can add the yeast mix on Thursday morning. A bit worried about leaving wort overnight with no yeast in it in case of contamination, but I think that's my best bet.
Anna
Today trying a stepped starter for the first time since the packs of Lallemand diamond yeast I have are not even remotely close to the pitch rate I'm looking for the two lagers I'm looking to do this weekend. I had thought of just doing one but if I'm going to tie up my fermenting fridge for weeks at a low temperature I thought I might as well make best use of it and do two lots of 23 litres. These are AG kits from geterbrewed, a light lager and a Bohemian pils lager. Both are supplied with 11g of diamond lager yeast which would at best give me 0.34M cells / mL / °P rather than the 1.5M I'm targeting which seems like a recipe for diacetyl disaster. A single stage starter would need a rather large volume, so instead I'm going to do 2 x 1.75 litre, chill, decant and then 2x 2.5 litre starter (in bigger demijohns) which by this calculator Yeast Pitch Rate and Starter Calculator - Brewer's Friend gives me 1.58M for the stronger one and more than enough for the lighter - so can take 500ml off the latter and play with trying to keep it viable in the fridge while the lager does its thing then bring it out to add after decanted to the final wort for bottling to assist carbonation. All good in theory
.
In practice so far
For each 22g yeast
Dissolved 27.5g Go Ferm Protect in 500ml boiling water (yes I know it should have been 550ml but my flask was only 500ml), then cooled to 30 deg C
Added yeast allowed to passively cool for 15 - 20min to 21 deg - light foam already
Boiled up 3 litre wort with 287g DME for 10min - cooled to 26 deg
Divided the wort and yeast suspension between the two jars for a volume of 1.75 l each leaving at room temp - 22 deg approx
V active foam within 2 hours
So far made the two starters and aware that the bottles are a wee bit small for the starter volume with foam, just will have to be careful shaking them (no I've not invested in a stir plate... but it's on the Christmas list).
I used Go Ferm protect to aid rehydration of the yeast, partly because I had some anyway and partly because Lallemand recommend it for rehydration of this yeast on their data sheet. My concern is that it doesn't properly dissolve so will always be part of the yeast mix all the way through including in the 500ml I keep back for bottling and which may end up in the bottles - going to have to have a think about that one !
Also I should really be leaving them somewhere a bit warmer even as a lager yeast starter, but my fermentation fridge is currently cold crashing a Citra pale ale which I'll need out of there by Saturday.
Next step chill tomorrow night overnight - should give it 36 hours to multiply this time, then on Thursday make up to 2nd starter. Slight problem is that I work all day on Thursday including the evening, so I'll make up the wort on Wednesday and seal the demijohns till I can add the yeast mix on Thursday morning. A bit worried about leaving wort overnight with no yeast in it in case of contamination, but I think that's my best bet.
Anna