Dry yeast starter - is this an issue?

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BrewSpook

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Ok guys... After reading an article in one of the latest mags, can't remember if it was Zymurgy or BYO they talked about making a beer ready to drink in a hurry.

So with the impeding visit of my in-laws (both big on homebrew) I decided to get one rolling this weekend. one of the steps says that you should over pitch the yeast, so I made a starter with what I had on hand... a pack of Notty.

Made 1L of 1.040 wort and added the notty... put it on my stir plate and let er rip. This was 2 days ago. (spinning well and have a dimple, no krausen) Today I go down to check on things and its spinning away, but the yeast still looks like it did coming out of the package, in little oblong granules.... I guess I never looked at it in my fermenter before, but I expected those to dissolve into the liquid... am I wrong and getting anxious for no reason? I am not brewing until sunday, but I am leaving town for the night and wont be back until late tomorrow.

All input appreciated - should I worry about this starter?
 
It's just starting to floc out... regardless of the spin. jsut pull it off the stir plate, crash it and decant. shake it like crazy before pitching to really break the cells apart.

curious though... overpitching can result in off flavors. what style are you brewing?
 
Im doing a Fat Tire clone... hoping to brew Sunday and have on tap the following Sunday. just an experiment to see if I can do it. I have two others on tap now, but thought I'd try something new.

I'd never seen a yeast floc like that - I'm used to them creating a cake... not staying bunched up like that. Its weird
 
To quote John Palmer:

"Dry yeast should be re-hydrated in water before pitching; no need to make a starter wort. Often the concentration of sugars in wort is high enough that the yeast can not draw enough water across the cell membranes to restart their metabolism. For best results, re-hydrate 2 packets of dry yeast in warm water (95-105°F) and then proof the yeast by adding some sugar to see if they are still alive after de-hydration and storage."

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-5.html

Personally, I never heard of a dry yeast starter but I am sure it couldn't hurt, plus you may learn something new.... please keep us posted!
 

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