Always make a starter when dealing with liquid yeast. In short, there aren't enough cells in a smack pack (100 billion) at the very peak of freshness to properly inoculate five gallons of wort higher than 1.025-1.030 As such, you need to grow up a starter that gets close to your ideal pitching rate of 100 million cells per 1 ml of wort per °Plato (Plato x 4 = OG, approximately).
A continously agitated starter is the most efficient way of growing yeast, but shaking the snot out of the vessel does just as well, though to a slightly less degree.
Oh- one more thing. Let those starters breathe. No airlock, just a sanitized foil cap.
I really like to use Activator Packs, due to the visual confirmation of yeast viability. When using White Labs vials, do you guys feel comfortable simply pitching the yeast from the vial, or do you pitch a starter?
I really like to use Activator Packs, due to the visual confirmation of yeast viability. When using White Labs vials, do you guys feel comfortable simply pitching the yeast from the vial, or do you pitch a starter?
With both Wyeast activators and white labs vials, I make a starter. If I get a sudden urge to brew something that _requires_ a liquid yeast on Friday, I'll either wait another week or suck it up and shell out the $$ to get 2 yeast packs so I'm not underpitching.
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