Could someone explain to me the steps to make a large starter for lagers.
Iceman, this is the way I step a starter. I have two 2 liter flasks so I use them, I have a 1 liter that I could use for the first step but the 2 is just easier. If you use a 1 liter for the first flask cut the amounts in half for the first step.
1) make my mixture of DME and about 3/4s the water needed for me that is 130g of DME with just under a liter. Bring that to a boil and get a hot break, add the remaining water to get it to a total volume of just over 1.3 liters and cover with foil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes, at this point the foil on top of the flask is turning grey on the inside and everything is sterile. The level should have dropped to 1.3 liters. Cool and pitch yeast.
I leave it on a stir plate for 24 to 36 hours, remove from the stir plate and place in the freezer for 30 minutes and the fridge for 2 hours or the fridge for 6 to 24 hours (I like the fridge over night unless I'm in a hurry.
At some point in the other flask make a second starter batch using the hot break method, I make this one a little stronger because, 1) I will be diluted a little by the wort 2) i will be throwing this in to a high gravity beer and I want strong yeasties.
Once the second batch of starter has cooled to below 70 take the starter out of the fridge and pour off most of the clear wort, agitate to suspend the yeast and pour it in to the second flask. Put that on the stir plate for 24 to 48 hours and put that in the fridge and use as normal.
I can do a quick two step in about 40 hours by cutting cooling and stir times, If I have planned correctly it takes me about 5 days.