For this weekend’s beer I’m going to try a wet yeast for the first time. It’s a vial of White Labs WLP002 (a.k.a. the Fuller’s strain). Since I’m planning on 29 litres of wort into the FV it seems from my reading that I need to make a starter, and the Pitching Rate Calculator on Mr Malty’s website indicates that for 7.66 US gallons of 1.053 wort I need 3.3 litres of starter, propagated from the 1 vial of yeast.
I had a small quantity of DME left in my stores, and after diluting into 3.3 litres of water and boiled it measured 8.2Bx = 1.032, which is (at least) in the correct range of 1.030 to 1.040, if on the low side. I cooled it to about 23C, poured it into a freshly sanitised demijohn (rather, empty 5 litre plastic water bottle), shook vigorously, pitched the vial of shaken yeast, shook vigorously again, and it’s now sitting on the kitchen counter. Hopefully, with the little yeasties multiplying happily!
I’ll be brewing on Sunday, so this should be about the right timing for when I need it.
