Yeast Pitch Rate Calculator

Yeast is the most important ingredient for consistent, high-quality beer. This tool helps you nail it every time.

Pitch Rate Guidelines

Standard pitch rate for most ale styles — IPAs, pales, stouts, wheats, and anything fermented warm (60–72°F). Lower pitch rates can produce more esters and character.

Ales <16°P

Pitch 1.0 million cells/mL/°P

Higher pitch rate for clean lager fermentation (46–56°F). More yeast cells reduce off-flavors at cold temps and help the yeast work through a longer, slower fermentation.

Lagers <16°P

Pitch 1.5 million cells/mL/°P

High-gravity worts stress yeast more — the extra sugar demands more cells to avoid stuck fermentation, excessive fusel alcohols, and off-flavors. Add 0.5M per °P above 16.

Ales or Lagers >16°P

Add an additional 0.5 million cells/mL per degree Plato

When using adjunct sugars (honey, candi, dextrose, etc.) the yeast needs extra cells to handle the simpler, highly fermentable sugars without producing excessive stress compounds.

Brewing with Fermentable Sugar

Add an additional 0.5 million cells/mL per degree Plato

Inputs

Yeast StrainThe yeast strain you’re pitching (e.g. WLP001, US-05, 34/70).

Beer Type

Source TankThe tank you’re harvesting yeast from.

New TankThe tank you’re pitching into.

GenerationHow many times this yeast has been repitched. Gen 1 = first use from the manufacturer.

Dilution FactorThe ratio used when diluting your slurry sample. For a 1:100 dilution, enter 100.

Dead CellsCount of blue-stained (dead) cells across your 5 hemocytometer squares.

Total CellsCount of all cells (live + dead) across the same 5 squares.

Vol. Wort (BBL)Volume of wort you’re pitching into, in barrels.

GravityOriginal gravity of your wort. Toggle between °Plato and Specific Gravity.

Suggested Pitch Rate

Enter gravity to see suggestion

Pitch Rate (M cells/mL/°P)Target pitch rate in millions of cells per mL per °Plato. Use the suggested rate or enter your own.

Results

Enter Total Cells above to see results

Viability = (Total − Dead) / Total · Cells/mL = Total × 5 × Dilution × 10,000

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