Jamil...I'm soooooo confused!

[BentwoodBlue]

So I will not have any growth from a 1 liter starter?

I wouldn't say any. Minimal growth is more like it.

[pvignola]

Here is what Jamil's site says:
Pitching a Wyeast Activator pack gives the following results within 12 to 18 hours:

* 1 liter starter = about 150 billion cells
* 2 liter starter = about 200 billion cells

Since I start with 100 billion cells, it seems I will have 50% yeast growth with a 1 liter starter, is this correct?

[jamilz]

You're probably starting with between 100 and 120 billion cells and you end up around 140 to 160, depending on OG of the starter, nutrients, and O2 or stirplate. The big issue is if you're pitching a lot of cells into a small starter, you get minimal growth and possibly a lot of stress on the yeast.

[pvignola]

OK so in the future I will try to get a close to 2 liters as I can for my normal gravity brews. I only have a 2 Liter E Flask that I use to boil with so I will just have to be careful while boiling.

[Homegrown Hops]

Invest in a gallon jar of pickles and use the empty jug for your starters, or you can buy a gallon jug at your local whole foods store or market. I use a gallon jar and even though it has a convex bottom it still works well with my DIY stir plate.

HH

[alemonger]

I use a gallon jar and even though it has a convex bottom it still works well with my DIY stir plate.

HH

Plus, I find the shoulder of the jar helps catch the stirbar so you don't as easily dump it in the carboy

[Speyedr]

I want to revive this one a bit so bear with me. Got my B3-1000 this week, and I'll be brewing as soon as I get back from vacation. I'm not telling you where I live... so don't ask

Since I'll be doing 10 gallons at a time I need to get this yeast thingy straight. Also, I want to make it clear that I am asking because, as Jamil says, I want to make GREAT beer, not just beer. If I just wanted to make beer I'd fart in the carboy and save the yeast money...

1- Mr. Malty says that if you use a stir plate you can double the yeast growth. The site also states that a 2 liter starter will yield about 200 billion cells. Does that mean that in a 2000ml starter on a stir plate you'll end up with about 400 billion cells?

2 - Can I pitch one vial (or smack pack) into a 2000ml starter on a stir plate, 1.040 SG, 70f for 18 hours and get 400 billion cells?

3 - Can I then split this into the two 6.5gal carboys and get a good fermentation, or should I be doing something else for 10 gallons?

Thanks for the help folks!

Rob

[zymurgest]

Oz sez: "...im a tight ass....in fact im so tight you can stick a lump of coal up my ass and have a diamond by the morning..."

Hey Oz, I have 20 tons of coal, care to help me out and we'll split the profits 50:50 Btw, I have always done a starter since I started homebrewing way back in 1971 (even with those crappy dry yeast sachets from the UK), and I never have a problem with yeast management. My latest thing to do is add 150ppm of Lysozyme to my yeast when I pitch a fresh batch, and then add 50ppm of K sorbate at high krausen. No more infections (not that I've ever had any, but insurance always costs something), off fermenting yeasty critters (even though I have some pretty cool lambicus growing in my garage), or spoilage organisms of any type, even in the heat of Summer (I brew year round every week except for Christmas and Easter) I always have nice healthy yeasts doing their yeast thing. Ttyal, and ilbcnu!

Prost!

Michel