Starters: large vs small

[StJayJay]

Hi All,
I’ve just moved from dry to liquid yeast and am getting to grips with starters, something I’ve been blissfully ignorant of up till now. The calculator I used (Mr Malty) gives options for fewer packets and larger starter volume or more packets and smaller starter volume. The example for my current lager is 3packets in 1.8l or 1 packet in 7.8l.
Aside from cost of using more packets of yeast and the practicalities of making larger volumes of starter, are there any other pros and cons for either approach? (Realise stepping up starters is also an option)

 

[phettebs]

I only ever use one package of liquid yeast. On Mr. Malty, I just use the "bigger starter" option. I have stepped up starters but that's pretty rare. For my recent imperial stout with OG of 1.105, I used a single package of Wyeast 1028 and made a 3.5 liter starter.

7.8l seems really high for a starter, even for a lager. I have reused a lower gravity beer's yeast cake to brew a really big beer in the past. So I guess you could say I made a 19l starter.

 

[foxbat]

To put it politely I think Mr Malty's formulas for yeast aging are pessimistic. I much prefer the brewunited calculator (Homebrew Dad's Online Yeast Starter Calculator) that's based on Kai Troester's (braukaiser) experiments. I've made countless starters from packets and overbuilds using this calculator and have always had a complete and reliable fermentation.

 

[StJayJay]

To put it politely I think Mr Malty's formulas for yeast aging are pessimistic. I much prefer the brewunited calculator (Homebrew Dad's Online Yeast Starter Calculator) that's based on Kai Troester's (braukaiser) experiments. I've made countless starters from packets and overbuilds using this calculator and have always had a complete and reliable fermentation.

That’s good to know, thank you. I shall plug in my numbers for the next one I do.

 

[StJayJay]

I only ever use one package of liquid yeast. On Mr. Malty, I just use the "bigger starter" option. I have stepped up starters but that's pretty rare. For my recent imperial stout with OG of 1.105, I used a single package of Wyeast 1028 and made a 3.5 liter starter.

7.8l seems really high for a starter, even for a lager. I have reused a lower gravity beer's yeast cake to brew a really big beer in the past. So I guess you could say I made a 19l starter.

Thanks for the reply, it did feel like an overly big number.