Help with my starter

[beerdyman]

Hey guys,

I’ve got two questions about my upcoming homebrew this weekend. Bear with me its only my second homebrew.

The first being that I am concerned about my yeast; I ordered my yeast (two vials of WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast) from Austin Homebrew Supply last week and am having them shipped up to Connecticut. They are expected to arrive on Thursday of this week. The yeast is being shipped with an ice pack to keep them cold but I am worried that the long trip will do some damage to them. I’m also worried that the ice pack won’t keep them cold for the 7-8 days it takes them to get all the way from Texas. My final concern for the yeast is that I do not get home from work until around 5 and if the package is delivered earlier in the day it will be sitting in 18-25° F weather for hours. From everything I’ve read it seems that having healthy yeast is the most important aspect of fermentation.
Am I being irrational with my concerns? Or should I plan on making the trek to my LHBS to buy healthier yeast.

My second question involves my actual brewing. I am making a Mini-Mash Imperial Stout using DME that has an O.G. of 1.087 and a F.G. of 1.020. From preliminary calculations I figure I need around 300-310 billion cells. I ordered my two vials of WLP004 and was planning on double pitching the recipe but that would leave me around 100 billion short. I am now thinking about making a starter with one vial and then just adding the extra vial of yeast to the wort when I add the starter. Is this a bad idea to mix the cells from the starter with cells from the vial which have not been awoken yet? Would it be overkill to make a starter using two vials instead of one? What is the best way to reach my 300-310 billion cells?

I have high hopes for this recipe and really hope that it comes out great.
I plan on getting my supplies in the mail on Thursday and was hoping to brew by on Sunday.

Thanks in advance for all of your help.

 

[revansCAAD8]

I wouldn't worry so much on the shipping and temps. I have found the yeast is tougher than you think. I would put them together and make a Starter without question. This way you know their viable, multiplying and hungry for more food

Good luck on your beer!
Robert

 

[whoaru99]

The best way is a little subjective but I'd just use one vial and do a two-stage starter. Based on yeast calc a 1L > 2L starter would get you ~335B even with a bit of reduced viability factored in.

OTOH, since you have two vials coming might just as well use them unless you're going to brew another in the near future that could use the same style of yeast. If you made a ~2.5L starter with one vial then direct pitched the other you'd have ~312B.

Depends a bit on the yeast viability which for WPL I understand you back calculate production date by subtracting 4 months from the date on the vial.

 

[beerdyman]

I'm still a little confused, I plan on using both vials since I don't have the equipment to brew multiple batches at once, and the extra vial would just sit in my fridge.

So when I make my starter should I add both vials to a mixture of 1 cup DME and 8 cups water in my 2 L flask? Or should I make a 2 stage starter with one vial and just add the other into the wort on brew day?

Thanks for the help.

--Pete

 

[VampireSix]

When the yeast arrives, look at the production date, then go to
http://www.yeastcalc.com/
Enter your SG at the top, and change the Liquid Yeast Properties - Initial Cell Cout to 200 billion (for two vials). Enter the production date of the vials.

Now, under 1st Step, select Intermittent Shaking as your aeration method (this assumes you are not using a stir plate, but are able to swirl the starter around whenever you can).

Then, change the Starter Volume until the Total Cells at Finish meets your needs (311 billion cells).

For two vials with a 1/20/2013 date, for a 1.087 SG wort, I come up with a 1.6L starter using intermittent shaking.

Now, put the 1.6L (or whatever your starter size is going to be) in on the left side for the DME calculator, and it will let you know the weight of DME to use for the 1.6L of water.

I hope this helps.

 

[beerdyman]

Thanks a lot, that helps.

If I'm planning to brew this Sunday when should I start my starter? I was thinking of starting it on Friday and leaving it in the fridge on Saturday night so I could pour off the excess liquid

 

[VampireSix]

I'm planning on brewing this Saturday or Sunday, so I'm doing my starter tonight and will let it sit on my stir plate for 48 hours (Friday night). Then it goes into the fridge overnight to settle out so I can decant the spent wort before pitching.

So, according to that schedule, I'd start it Thursday to brew on Sunday.

 

[whoaru99]

1.6L starter could be risky in a 2L flask if the yeast ferments agressively. Be prepared for potential blowoff.

 

[VampireSix]

Good point. I use a stir plate, so it's not really a concern for me.