In regards to yeast starters, I thought I was increasing the yeast count by pitching a tube into a 1000ml or 2000ml starter wort. But if the tube (as they state) is from a roughly 750 ml volume using the ten fold rule would I have to go to a 7500 ml starter????? I think I go back to warm on the counter and pitch the vile into the 5 gal...
Thanks I looked at that and have followed it in the past, my underlying issue is after the show I was left under the opinion that the 1000 and or 2000ml starters I do are only waking up the yeast. That basically the vile is a 750 starter and there for Id need a 7500 ml starter to get cell reproduction for a larger slurry for pitching...
Tim, are you using a stirplate? If not then based on the show you probably are only waking it up. If you are though your getting growth in a 2000ml starter. I know that when I throw a tube into 1500ml of wort and put it on my stirplate, I have more yeast than would fit in a White Labs Tube.
After the show though, I agree with your PRAGMATISM! If I have 5gal of wort to ferment and it is under 1.060 and the yeast is fresh, I'm pitching the tube!
I'm expecting my microscope to arrive Monday. As soon as I get a hemacytometer (and learn to use it) I'll be conducting cell counts in different sized starters.
Ive been told that anything less than 2000ml and no stir plate will only wake the yeast up and help build cell walls and such. If you want growth, go 2000ml+ or stir plate. or both.
Growing yeast at home without O2 and a stirplate will require much more wort than the 1 L of wort / yeast tube rate that White labs reports. Using a shaking incubator at 30C, 250 rpm and 10 Plato wort, I can get the same growth rate and I imagine a stirplate would give similar results. The key is starting with a small amount of yeast and subsequently stepping it up 10-fold in volume to promote new greowth at each step. So, you can either pitch the whole tube into a bunch of wort or you use a few ml of the tube to make another starter, doubling the amount of cells you have.
As a brewer who either buys yeast from a sketchy local shop or mail orders from the other side of the continent, I'm willing to invest a bit of time on a starter just to see the sucker start to bubble before I commit to a long brew day that really, really deserves a live pitch of yeast.
I'm not implying that this growth vs. "waking up" discussion isn't important, in fact it's making me think about buying that microscope again - damn you, yeastie boys. But "seeing is believing" seems like reason enough for doing a starter for non-smack-packs. I only wonder if there's any DAMAGE that I might do with a one or two quart starter. Will my yeast be less horny (in an asexual way, of course) and forget to reproduce with vigor when they finally hit the wort?
I think I go back to warm on the counter and pitch the vile into the 5 gal... 
