Generating sufficient yeast for my 1st 'proper' Pilsner attempt

Share your experiences of using brewing yeast.
Post Reply
User avatar
Meatymc
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:36 pm
Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire

Generating sufficient yeast for my 1st 'proper' Pilsner attempt

Post by Meatymc » Wed Jan 10, 2018 2:15 pm

Some interesting and relevant comments on Tourers 'Confused' thread but didn't want to highjack it with my more specific query.

I'm going to try doing a pilsner. Reluctance previously has been down to the time involved in tying up my fridge what with the longer fermentation and lagering periods needed. I'm therefore trying to get things as good as I can at the start and ask you to comment on the following in relation to the yeast.

Target is for 23L at 1040OG using c4KG Pilsner Malt - my efficiency rate has been just under 80% so I'm hoping that will be about right - reading up on pitching rates seems exceeding target just means more yeast.

Using 2 x 11g packs of Saflager S-23 - rehydrated - then into a 2L/250g Light DME starter.

Is that going to be enough?

Whatever the answer, what temps am I aiming for when rehydrating with this particular brew/yeast and again when mixing with the starter? And finally, I assume I'd drop the starter temp to the same as the wort before pitching - IE c10C?

MTW
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 905
Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2014 9:04 pm
Location: Just outside Scarbados

Re: Generating sufficient yeast for my 1st 'proper' Pilsner attempt

Post by MTW » Wed Jan 10, 2018 3:57 pm

For some sort of reference, I fermented 21L of 1.047 Pilsner at 12C with 2 packets of 34/70. It went like a train (for a lager) and was down to 1.011 in 5 days, finishing at 1.006. It's the only lager I've done though! On that basis, I'd just rehydrate those two packs and chuck them in, or buy a third if you want (seeing you're going at 10C) and offset the saving on the DME and effort. And yes, whichever way, I'd bring the yeast temperature down to 10C gradually; if just rehydrated (no starter), then ideally by gradual additions of 10c wort.
Busy in the Summer House Brewery

User avatar
Meatymc
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:36 pm
Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire

Re: Generating sufficient yeast for my 1st 'proper' Pilsner attempt

Post by Meatymc » Wed Jan 10, 2018 4:26 pm

Cheers MTW. Some 'sources' I've been reading say start the fermentation at 7C and increase to 10C maximum over the first 3 days. I've also been on a couple of the pitching calculators that state I need at least 33g yeast and a 3L starter to get enough cells!!!!

This damn brew (on request from the power that be) is already going to cost 4 times more than my usual IPA/bitter brews given the higher grain and yeast costs plus I'm having to buy in hops rather than use my own home-grown so it had better be good!

A saving grace though, if it is any good, could be scavenging some of the yeast for the future. Been in touch with IPA who reckons his method works just as well on bottom as well as top fermenting yeasts - now considering having a tap on the new fermenting bucket I need and 'capturing' samples through the tap from the bottom once active rather than 'dunking' in from the top.

Chug

Re: Generating sufficient yeast for my 1st 'proper' Pilsner attempt

Post by Chug » Wed Jan 10, 2018 11:42 pm

I use 1 pack w34/70 in 12L brew and agree it goes well, so two packs s-23 in 23L brew will be plenty, I usually ferment at 12C and the up to 16C for a day or two at the end of primary ferment,then bottle, leave to carb at room temp 18-20C in my case, then lager for one week for very 10 gravity points, so 1050 is five weeks.

Chug

Re: Generating sufficient yeast for my 1st 'proper' Pilsner attempt

Post by Chug » Wed Jan 10, 2018 11:45 pm

Oh and have another brew planned soon after bottling/kegging and pitch onto the yeast slurry and get another brew from the same yeast.

User avatar
Meatymc
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:36 pm
Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire

Re: Generating sufficient yeast for my 1st 'proper' Pilsner attempt

Post by Meatymc » Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:42 am

Cheers Chug but I'm scavenging yeast using IPA's method so will have at least a couple of bottles of captured yeast I can use any time in the future.

I've been in touch with IPA who tells me he's just successfully revived the yeast from a 40 year old bottle of Shepherd Neame - awesome!

jaroporter
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 996
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2012 11:12 pm
Location: Garden of England

Re: Generating sufficient yeast for my 1st 'proper' Pilsner attempt

Post by jaroporter » Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:57 am

i reckon Chug means that given the huge amount of yeast you need for pitching a lager it makes sense to use all that slurry while you got it rather than having to grow up a massive starter from a small bottle.. :wink:
dazzled, doused in gin..

User avatar
Meatymc
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:36 pm
Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire

Re: Generating sufficient yeast for my 1st 'proper' Pilsner attempt

Post by Meatymc » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:28 pm

Fair point but as I'm not really interested in brewing this in the first place, the chances of me tying up the fridge doing 2 back-to-back brews are basically nil!

All I can say is she better bloody like it!!!

TheSumOfAllBeers
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 677
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 11:21 am

Re: Generating sufficient yeast for my 1st 'proper' Pilsner attempt

Post by TheSumOfAllBeers » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:53 pm

1. If in doubt use 3 packets of yeast as you are fermenting cold.

2. Don't make a starter for dry yeast. Ever. Just rehydrate and pitch.

3. Stop grumbling about lager. Once you realise that you don't have to replicate macrobrew, you can start to make proper lager: good Pilsner, bock, Baltic Porter etc.

Post Reply