starter for a 1 barrel 160 liter batch

[farmer brown]

Hey all
Just have a question regarding large yeast starters. Id like to ferment 160 liters of 1040'ish wort with some WPL001. Is this correct:

1) Make up 600ml 1040 DME and throw in a vial of WPL001
2) Leave to ferment and settle for 3 days at 20c
3) Make up 3 liters of 1040 DME and add just the yeast from the 600ml starter. Leave for 3 days.
4) Repeat with 1 gallon of 1040 DME wort.. Leave for 3 days and then pitch within a few days.

I've only ever done 600ml starter for my 25 liter batches

Any help appreciated!

 

[pittsy]

all i can say to that is 1 fresh vial with a 1040 liter starter will give you around 180/220 billion cells , so that's around right for 23 liter batch . Divide 23 into 160 roughly gives you 7, so around 6 to 7 liter starter would be needed i make that and it's also best to go in stages as you say from 1 liter then add 2 liters after 2 days then another 2 liters then the last liter 24 hrs before pitching and i would just pitch the lot in .

 

[farmer brown]

Thanks for that Pittsy,
So each time it finishes do I just pour the old DME out and refile with the next larger volume of DME? Im guessing this will take a good week to prep?

 

[jonnymorris]

Check out Mr Malty. There's a pitching rate calculator on their web site and info on starters etc.

 

[LeithR]

@Farmer Brown,Effectively the answer is yes to your question. You don't have to be too rigerous as what we are talking abut it how long a yeast starter will take to go thru phase 1 (growing to sufficient size to handle the brew) if you pitch the correct amount it should start within 12/24 hrs but if you are a bit short it will take a little longer.

Suggest you get yourself a copy of "Yeast" by White and Zainasheff, its the bible on yeast, and its a good read if you are interested in how yeast works.

Good luck!! :thumb: :thumb:

 

[farmer brown]

Many thanks, I just ordered that book LeithR.. It's a biti if a grey area for me so time to get back to some books!
Thanks all.. For now ill be sticking to dry yeast until I feel confident making big starters

 

[anthonyUK]

A magnetic stir plate and stir bar will significantly increase your cell growth rate :geek:

You can make a stir plate using an 12v PC fan and some magnets from an old hard disk.

 

[bunkerbrewer]

I also decided a glowing green switch was an important component for my stirplate :)

 

[joe1002]

Sorry to hijack farmer brown :whistle:

BB, I also have that switch but cant work out how to wire it up to get the light to work.

Do you have any pictures or wiring diagrams?

 

[bunkerbrewer]

Sorry to hijack farmer brown :whistle:

BB, I also have that switch but cant work out how to wire it up to get the light to work.

Do you have any pictures or wiring diagrams?

From memory the pins were numbered 1, 2, 3, and I think 3 was a different colour (gold?) which is ground. 1 was power in (from the phone charger in my case); 2 was power out (to the fan); and 3 links in with the negative.

Just found this YouTube video which helps a bit.

I don't have a diagram, but if you're still stuck I can pop open my stirplate and take a photo.

Edit: Found this video too - search keywords are "spst illuminated rocker switch wiring".

 

[Aleman]

I would suggest making a smaller batch of the beer a couple of days before the main one say around 25Litres and use that as your starter!!!

It's what I do for my lagers.

I colony for yeast slant -> 2ml - 18-24 hours -> 20ml for 18-24 Hours -> 200ml 18-24 hours - 20L on stir plate for 48 hours - 25L for 48 hours . . . . Oxygenate . . . then pitch into big batch (which is also well oxygenated)

My big batch is around 1/2BBL, but I have not had any issues with this approach pitching at 8-9C, I normally get good krausen within 12-18 hours. Pitching 1BBL at 20C with an ale yeast should be a simple task.

 

[joe1002]

Sorry to hijack farmer brown :whistle:

BB, I also have that switch but cant work out how to wire it up to get the light to work.

Do you have any pictures or wiring diagrams?

From memory the pins were numbered 1, 2, 3, and I think 3 was a different colour (gold?) which is ground. 1 was power in (from the phone charger in my case); 2 was power out (to the fan); and 3 links in with the negative.

Just found this YouTube video which helps a bit.

I don't have a diagram, but if you're still stuck I can pop open my stirplate and take a photo.

Edit: Found this video too - search keywords are "spst illuminated rocker switch wiring".

Thanks very much BB, your description makes sense. I'll check out the links at lunch time :thumb:

 

[mattybabsy]

all i can say to that is 1 fresh vial with a 1040 liter starter will give you around 180/220 billion cells , so that's around right for 23 liter batch . Divide 23 into 160 roughly gives you 7, so around 6 to 7 liter starter would be needed i make that and it's also best to go in stages as you say from 1 liter then add 2 liters after 2 days then another 2 liters then the last liter 24 hrs before pitching and i would just pitch the lot in .

afraid that's not true. yeast doesn't grow in ratio like that as you step up- you're best using one of the calcs online

that book is awesome and explains pretty much everything you need to know

 

[jonnymorris]

25L for 48 hours . . . .

25L on a stir plate! Do you have an industrial sized stir plate?

 

[Aleman]

25L for 48 hours . . . .

25L on a stir plate! Do you have an industrial sized stir plate?

Edit: That bit does not have to be on a stir plate :whistle:

 

[farmer brown]

Will a 1 gallon demijon work on that stirplate?
Love that green light :thumb:

 

[bunkerbrewer]

Will a 1 gallon demijon work on that stirplate?
Love that green light :thumb:

Nope! I tried that, thinking I could get away without buying a 2L Erlenmeyer flask. But the bottom of a DJ (mine, at least) is rounded, so the magnetic stir bar didn't stay in place.

If you've got a flat-bottomed DJ, that might work.

 

[farmer brown]

Ah yes, I should have thought of that :wha:
May just invest in a 2L Erlenmeyer flask