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Measured Batch Size

K

KellerBrauer

Greetings All - Something has always puzzled me.  When formulating a recipe, in the Starter Tab, there's an option to "Add The Starter To Bottling Volume".  When selected, one can assume the volume of the starter is added to the "Measured Batch Size" in the "Into The Fermenter" section of the Session Tab.  So My question is: Is that assumption correct; is the "Measured Batch Size" recorded before or after the yeast is pitched?  That could make a big difference in my Brewhouse Efficiency numbers.
 
The program adds the size of the starter AFTER the batch size calculation, so it does not affect the brew house efficiency or mash efficiency calculations.  It just adds it to the fermenter volume and increases the bottling volume. 
 
Greetings Oginme and thank you for your reply.  I was just playing with some numbers and found that if I change the "Measured Batch Size" from 5.25 to 6.0 my "Actual Measured Efficiency" jumps from 67.5% to 78.8% - All on the Session Tab.  So my question may have been confusing.  Referring to the "Into The Fermenter" section of the Sessions Tab and the field for "Measured Batch Size".  That field is looking for a volume number.  Is that Volume Number entered Before or After the starter is pitched?

I've never really paid too much attention to it and have always recorded it Before the starter is pitched.  However, yesterday I brewed a batch with a 3500mL starter!  That's a significant addition to the fermenter.  So that's what got me to thinking that maybe I've been doing it wrong.

Following your thought, as I said, the Starter was 3500mL.  My "Measured Batch Size" into The Fermenter is 5.25, The "Add Starter To The Bottling Volume" is checked (On the Starter Tab) and my "Estimated Bottling Volume" is only 5.67 gallons and doesn't change even if I change the "Measured Batch Size" volume.  So something isn't adding up.  I supposed I noticed this because I never really used such a massive starter.  But this doesn't make sense.

Attached is my recipe.  Maybe looking at it will help make sense of this.  Any help or suggestions you have will be much appreciated.
 

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Interesting, when I click to 'add starter to bottling volume' on the mash page, the bottling volume changes.  When I do the same action on the volumes tab, it does not.  Definitely a bug. 

I decant my starters, so have never used the function.  I just figure that I specifically brew for certain flavors, bitterness, etc. and don't want to dilute that with a starter.  Aside from that, have you tasted your starter after cold crashing the yeast from the wort?  Not very appealing to my taste buds.

 
Greetings Oginme and thank you again for your input.  Decanting a starter. Interesting thought.  I assume you cold crash it and allow it to settle out, then rack off the liquid?  If you wouldn't mind, perhaps you could explain your process?  It seems quite logical; more so than adding 3500mL of unneeded liquid.

Thanks again!
 
I usually make my starter about a week before brewing, earlier if I am stepping up from a yeast plate.  I allow the last step to ferment at about 65F for 2 to 3 days then bring it to a cool room (about 40F to 50F) to chill before putting it into my beer fridge at about 40F for two days.  At the start of brew day, I bring it back out and decant as much of the liquid off the top as possible, usually bringing it down to around 200 ml to 300 ml of loose slurry.  I allow it to warm slowly to room temp during brewing.  When I take my sample for OG, I sanitize the hydrometer tube and hydrometer chill the wort sample down to 60F and after measuring the OG, add it to the flask with the yeast starter.  Generally it is about 250 ml to 300 m of wort.  From there I swirl the wort and yeast cake and put it on the counter while I chill the wort down to around 60F (lower if it is a lager and winter when my well water is right around 40F).  Once the yeast in the flask starts foaming (generally at about 4 to 8 hours depending upon OG and yeast health), I pitch it into the fermenter.

It is kind of a combination between a standard yeast starter and a vitality yeast starter.  By allowing the yeast to start working on the sample wort, they will have begun activity and have enough healthy cells when added to the larger volume of wort it takes off pretty quickly.
 
Great information, Oginme.  Thanks for your help and advise!
 
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