Ok after brewing nothing but ales for several years I have decided to give a lager a go. Where I am going to need a tad bit of help is with the starter. I know I need to go big. Yes I have a stir plate. From what I have read in other threads many deem it not necessary to create your starter at the normal lager fermentation temps. Have any of you tried it both ways and what has been your experience?
Lager Starter
- Thread starter Toga
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Doing the starter at room temperature is fine- after all, the goal is to grow yeast and yeast does very well at room temperature (even lager yeast).
After the starter is fermented out, I stick it in the fridge for several days and pour off the spent wort. It takes a bit longer for that to happen with lager yeast, so I try to make my starters about a week before brewday when I make a lager.
After the starter is fermented out, I stick it in the fridge for several days and pour off the spent wort. It takes a bit longer for that to happen with lager yeast, so I try to make my starters about a week before brewday when I make a lager.
TheLastDamnBatch
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I make 4-5L starters for all of my lagers using 2 vials or packs of yeast.
All made with 1 tablet servomyces/ .5 tsp yeast nutrient / .25 tsp DAP / pure O2 for 1 minute / 2 drops olive oil / stir plate - 36 hours
Starter Fermented Cold - rarely decant liquid, no noticeable off flavor
Starter Fermented Warm - Chill in refrigerator for at least 24hrs, always decant liquid, no noticeable off flavor
All made with 1 tablet servomyces/ .5 tsp yeast nutrient / .25 tsp DAP / pure O2 for 1 minute / 2 drops olive oil / stir plate - 36 hours
Starter Fermented Cold - rarely decant liquid, no noticeable off flavor
Starter Fermented Warm - Chill in refrigerator for at least 24hrs, always decant liquid, no noticeable off flavor
OP
OP
Toga
Well-Known Member
Awesome thanks to both of you for the fast reply. Looks like I will be creating a starter tonight in hopes of brewing on Sunday. Now to figure out whether to brew a Munich dunkel or an Octoberfest.
Also going for another first....either a double or triple decoction mash. Should be fun. :rockin:
Also going for another first....either a double or triple decoction mash. Should be fun. :rockin:
I wish I read this earlier. I made a 2L starter with WLP830 (German Lager). My plan was to let it go for 24-30 hours then cold crash overnight, decant and top up with another 2l fresh wort and let that go another 24 hours before pitching. Only when I pulled it out of the fridge it was still actively fermenting (doh!). So my current plan is to just pitch the whole thing into a gallon fermenter with the fresh wort. I hope it works because brew day is tomorrow.
Yooper, after you decant, do you just let it come back up to room temp then pitch, as you would a vial?
Yooper, after you decant, do you just let it come back up to room temp then pitch, as you would a vial?
Kaiser
Well-Known Member
Is that for 5 or 10 gal?
I don't think you need 2 packs of yeast. Just add about 70g more DME ($0.60 worth) and you get the ~100 B you got from the 2nd pack of yeast.
Kai
