gERgMan

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So, I am new to the yeast starter techniques. All my past brews have been with White Lab vials or Wyeast Starter Packs. I have had success with these, but I see soo much about yeast starters and having the right cell count at pitching that I am deciding to do this with my amber ale on Saturday. My idea of how to do it is:

-Boil 3 cups of water and 1 cup of dark amber DME for about 5-10 minutes

-Pour boiled wort into a flask and allow to cool to 70C

-add Safale packet of dry yeast to cooled wort and attach airlock

-store yeast/wort starter in dark place at 65-70C for about 48hrs and then pitch into 5 gal. batch

How does this sound to people familiar with yeast starters? Should I use more/different DME? Should I rehydrate the SafAle yeast in water before adding to cooled starter wort? Is 48hrs to long, should I start this Friday evening instead? Any and all help would be much obliged. Thanks

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JayMckeever

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I might be wrong, but when using dry yeast, you actually don't want to use a starter. The cell count is already much higher than a liquid yeast.

gERgMan

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Really?!?! I could see it having more cells, perhaps, but that doesn't mean they are all viable, does it? I would think that is why there are more cells around, because a "chunk" of them won't survive during rehydration or didn't survive the lypholizing (drying out of them).

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bradsul

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This article on the wiki is still pretty basic but it contains a pretty good outline of the steps for a starter.

Edit: Just read through the whole thing, it's actually just about everything you want to know for a first starter.

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TheJadedDog

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Dry yeast packets have way more cells that the liquid vials or smack packs and therefore only need to be rehydrated to "proof" them (for big beers simply pitch additional packets). Liquid yeast benefits greatly from true starters.

My only concern with your proposed process for making a starter is that you plan to pour hot liquid into a glass vessel. Unless it is an Erlenmeyer flask, I wouldn't do that.

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gERgMan

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It will be a glass Erlenmeyer, but thanks for the heads up. I will take a look at the article you linked and hopefully that will answer my questions. Thanks

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Albert Einstein defines insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Ó Flannagáin

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I've heard over and over you don't want to make a starter for dry yeast. I would not if I were you. Why? I'm really not sure, but I've read it a few times to make my not do it, especially since I've had tons of succes with dry yeast and no starter. Just rehydrate it.

If you go with a liquid starter, especially those from the vial, that's a good time to make a starter. Smack packs don't need one either, they just need to be smacked a few hours before pitching.

Raffie

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I did a few dry yeast and in about 4-8hrs they was up and going.