Stepping up a Lager Starter

My limited experience making 1 baltic porter leads me to making the following recommendations for what they are worth:

Calculate your starter step needs with: www.yeastcalc.com

If crash cooling / decanting between steps, try to use a 2-3 day crash cool period if possible to ensure that the lager yeast fully floccs out each time you do.

Try to ferment your 1L starter right before brewing at a similar temp to your planned fermentation temp.

 

So your gonna mix the two different strains? If I were you I'd take the fresher yeast and do a 1500ml starter for a few days...crash cool a couple days...decant....do another 1500ml starter for a few days...crash cool...decant and your ready to pitch. That's all based on a ~1.050 OG. Gotta pitch big on lagers.

I think mr. malty recommends like 12 of your may smack packs in a gallon starter for an appropriate pitch rate.

Edit* the two 1500ml starters would still be under pitching.

 

+1 to yeastcalc.com over Mr. malty. Especially if you're going to step up your starter. Also, you will get more growth if you increase the size of your starter for each step. i.e. you will get more cells if you go 1000ml==>2000ml than you would going 1500ml==>1500ml. Same amount of wort but the former will yield more cells when it's all said and done.

 

Bookmarked. Looks slick.

 

I made my first ever lager in Dec of last year, it was a Dopplebock, OG 1.075. I did a 2L starter on 2308 about 4 weeks old, and stepped that up again to another 2L. Pitched it at 50*F. After 7 weeks I dropped it to 40*F. Bottled 6 weeks @48*F. It took 1st place in a BJCP @ 6 months old, the bulk of that time, it was not lagered, just sitting in the garage at ambient temps. It tastes wonderful now (After a summer in the garage). Yes, this is anecdotal, but, it made a great beer. I even pitched a German Pils on part of the yeast cake and it took 3rd.

 

What temperature you propagate lager yeast is your choice; warmer temperatures like 68°F results in more rapid yeast growth (i.e., you will obtain your desired yeast cell count more quickly). If you pitch your lager starter into warmer wort (e.g., 60°F) the onset of primary fermentation will be quicker since yeast grows more quickly at 60°F then it would at 50°F.

The below statement of “To compensate for this, pitch one package into 60-68°F wort, …” relates to just pitching one smack-pack into a lager batch. I would never recommend using a single smack-pack for lager brewing. I would highly recommend that you make a starter (you can choose the temperature you wish to propagate) for a lager.

Below is from the Wyeast FAQ on their website:

“15. What temperature should I pitch lagers?

More yeast (double- two packages or make a 2L starter) is required for cold fermentations. To compensate for this, pitch one package into 60-68°F wort, allow fermentation to begin, and cool to desired fermentation temperature.

16. I’m brewing a lager, do I need to cool my wort to fermentation temperature before adding the yeast?

There are different views on this topic. The individual brewer ultimately has to weigh the pros and cons. If a brewer is to pitch the lager yeast at fermentation temperature (55°F and below) then the pitch rate needs to be increased and a slower start to fermentation should be expected. The other option is to pitch the yeast into wort (60 to 70°F) and maintain temperature for 24 hours or until signs of active fermentation are evident and then cool to desired fermentation temperature.”

Cheers!

 

Gutsy!

 

I've heard similar things from white labs about pitching warm first then bringing your temp down to your lager ferment temp. I think they advise this because they imagine most homebrewers are gonna under pitch lagers so by pitching warm the yeast get started faster. I like pitching my lagers at 45f and let that free rise to ~50f for the bulk of primary. Pitching cold decreases the precursor to diacetyl.

I recently did a "fast" lager (octoberfest) which turned out great. Pitched cold at 45f. Let rise to ~50f for about a 8 days. Brought temp up to 63f for a quazzi d-rest and to let the beer finish. Hit terminal gravity in 15 or 16 days. Kegged it on day 17 and its drinking nice! I have a couple pints here and there and once they start pouring clear ill bottle it.

 

That's what I do, and I've been pretty satisfied with my lagers. The point of a starter is to grow some healthy yeast, and fermenting at room temp will do that faster. Assuming you are decanting your starter beer, there is no need to worry about esters and fusels and such. I suppose there *might* be some risk of mutation if your temperature got really high, but 60-68 will be fine.

That said, you want to gradually bring your starter to pitching temperature before dumping it into the wort. Too big of a temperature difference (like, say over 10 degrees) will shock the yeast.

 

“What ARE the pros and cons?”°

Let’s discuss lager brewing for the moment. There are some BAs who are big advocates that the proper way to brew a lager is to:

· Make an x gallon starter (via multi-step)
· Decant the lager starter wort after a placing the starter in the refrigerator for a period of time (e.g., > 24 hours).
· Pitch the yeast sludge into the wort at something like 45°F and let the lager free rise into the low 50’s

The concept is that the above process will result in a clean lager without any esters.

They are not ‘believers’ that you can pitch a lager starter into a warmer wort (e.g., 60°F) and let beer ‘start up’ for a period of time (e.g., 24 hours) and then slowly bring it down to lager fermentation temperatures (e.g., 50°F) for the bulk of the primary fermentation. They are of the opinion that this warm start process will result in a lager which is non-clean (e.g., will have noticeable esters).

As a homebrewer you need to decide for yourself what can possibly result in a tasty lager beer.

There is no doubt that making an x gallon starter in which the yeast sediment is pitched into 45°F wort will result in a clean lager. You will need to try the warm start method and decide whether this method is acceptable to you.

Not every beer making process has a right & wrong answer to it. As a homebrewer, you can let your personal palate decide on various methods of brewing.

Cheers!

 

IMO this is another example of the yeast manufacturers dumbing the process down, knowing that most people who read their advice will be happy just to have made beer. Mission accomplished I guess.

Pros: Makes beer
Cons: A lager that doesn't taste like one

 

“I know lagers have a sulfer (problem), but this smells like ass.” Yes, lager yeasts tend to produce sulfur during primary fermentation. The sulfur will get ‘scrubbed out’ via the CO2 outgassing and you will not taste sulfur in the resulting beer; I have never tasted sulfur in any of the numerous (>50) batches of lager beers that I have homebrewed.

Cheers!

 

Mmmm ..... lager ass.

I like that smell and I can not lie. Some other brothers may deny.