Dry yeast and starters

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ak-71

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Never made starters for dry yeast before and I know people say startes are not needed for dry yeast, but Beersmith wants 3 packs of US-05 (6.50$ each) for my 10 gal batch and I've just built myself a stir plate I really want to try.. It seems like I could get away with 1 pack if I use my contraption ~ 9$ savings (yeast minus DME), plus I get to use my new toy - why I shouldn't do it?
Any reasons agains the starter or it's just too much hassle for most?
 
This is something I have been wanted to know. I think people always say its pointless because you can just buy more packets, but that's not really the answer to the question. Of course you can buy more, but the yeast from a starter is just so ready to go right off the bat (plus there is more).
 
There is nothing wrong with doing a starter for dry yeast but they should be properly rehydrated prior to adding them to the starter wort. I believe the logic to just adding more packets is 1) There is a lot more yeast in a dry packet than a liquid (up to 11 grams) and 2) It might be cheaper to buy additional yeast than buying the DME to make a starter.

Properly rehydrated dry yeast will take off just as fast as starter grown. Adding a little GoFerm nutrient during rehydration is also a good idea.
 
Can you? Sure. Consult one of the calculators to determine how to step up the starter to get your needed yeast count. If you think it is fun to do, why pay someone to do it for you?

The downside? You aren't going to have professional testing equipment, so you are just using approximations from calculators. You also probably don't have a sterile workplace, so there is a small chance of contamination. Obviously, lots of people successfully make starters though, so that isn't a very big hurdle.
 
The disadvantage is that you don't get one of the upsides of using dry yeast - there are lipids built into the yeast that help the yeast get off to a good start (I don't know any technical specs about that, it's just what I have read on producers' websites). So if you make a starter the yeast will use up those lipids reproducing in the starter instead of in your beer.

Essentially you'll be converting it to liquid yeast. Which, I suppose, is fine.

So I guess that the bottom line is that using one pack and making a starter is somewhat counterproductive, but only a bit, and everything will almost certainly work out fine. If the cost savings makes that worthwhile, you can just go ahead.

I'd go back to MrMalty or yeastcalc in that case and re-calculate growth amounts based on the # of cells in the one pack to make sure you're using the right starter size
 
If I use dry yeast, I usually rehydrate it first if it's a big beer. For smaller beers and dry yeast, I just aerate and pitch and I've had no problems.

I'm thinking of starting to wash my yeast to save a few dollars but my concern is if it's worth the few $$$ for a possible infection.
 
Where are you paying $6.50 at? I get mine for about half that online.

Canada...

Ended up making 10 gal partial boil APA (10 gal kettle). Half is fermenting with hydrated pack of US-05 and the other with WYEAST 1056 1.5L starter made using a stir plate (bit overpitched?).
Had huge foam layer in the second in the morning. US-05 had some foam starting to form after ~ 24 hours.
 
Although it isn't needed, a starter is OK if you follow simple rules.... A full pack of yeast is intended to ferment a 5 gallon batch of normal gravity ( <1060 SG ) so if you pitch less than that into a starter then you are growing the proper amount of yeast I would think. Any way you look at it... you'll make beer.
 
Never made starters for dry yeast before and I know people say startes are not needed for dry yeast, but Beersmith wants 3 packs of US-05 (6.50$ each) for my 10 gal batch and I've just built myself a stir plate I really want to try.. It seems like I could get away with 1 pack if I use my contraption ~ 9$ savings (yeast minus DME), plus I get to use my new toy - why I shouldn't do it?
Any reasons agains the starter or it's just too much hassle for most?

I think there may be many cases where making a starter for dry yeast makes sense. One I can think of is when using dry yeast such as 34/70 in a lager. First off, the stuff is likely $5 to $6 per pack, even before tax. Then, if you pitch only one pack, you are likely underpitching (even if slightly). Most recipes call for at least 2 packs. So, instead of dumping $12 in yeast in your bucket, you could use one pack or a half of a pack to make a correct sized starter. Starters are just so easy to make. Now, granted, once you brew the first batch, you can harvest the yeast from there, but that's a different subject.

For US-05, I really don't think it makes sense simply because the yeast is cheap. But then again, I'm on my fourth generation of what I harvested from the current strain. I think making starters is part of the beer brewing experience. I see absolutely no reason why you can't make starters from any dry yeast. It doesn't know that starter wort is not your final beer. It will work and harvest the same.

I'm also a fan of overpitching vs underpitching. I just assume I can't hit the yeast target exactly, so I overshoot. I have had better taste results for beers that Mr. Malty calls for 1.2 packs, using 2 packs instead of 1.
 
Never made starters for dry yeast before and I know people say startes are not needed for dry yeast, - why I shouldn't do it? Any reasons agains the starter or it's just too much hassle for most?

When you make a starter with dry yeast you want to let the beer fully ferment out. You also have to do very large starters. If you dont, you reduce the total amount of glycogen reserves etc which the yeast use to bud and mulitply. upon full fermentation the yeast start to uptake nutrients again as they settle out. if the starter is too small, there wont be enough nutrients in the supplied wort to make that much yeast happy. This mindset is part of the benefits of why you would want to make a small batch and repitch the yeast to a higher gravity beer.

I reciently just rehydrated and made a starter for a pack of dry yeast, but they were going into oxygenless, fermented beer with a diacetyl problem and i had to make sure they were fully active. Worked for me, but the perk of dry yeast is the what, 5x amount of cells vs liquid yeast. so I would probably just hydrate and pitch. just plan ahead and try to wash your yeast for next time.

rereading. that beer will be fine with two packs. make a starter for it so you can use your new toy, but next time save your stir plate for the liquid yeast.
 
I have not re-hydrated dry yeast in years. A pack of Notty will generally start kicking in 7 hours with dump and shake. Beers over 1.076 OG I generally dump on trub, but the smaller ones do fine with Notty, 04, or 05. Keeping the yeast at the same temperature as the wort helps a quick start
 
Just did a dry yeast starter today. I sprinkled the pack of 34/70 into a 1.5L starter. I'll step it up again before this weekend's brew time. I actually have one other pack, but I like to keep a pack in the fridge for emergencies. This leaves me with another pack of lager yeast if I don't use the harvested yeast from this batch. The stir plate really got it going, so I'm assuming I'll have almost two packs worth before the step up. I'll wind up with around 3 packs worth when it's finished, but the pack has been in the fridge for around 3 months or so. I'm guessing the two were reduced due to viability, and this is probably more insurance that I have enough. I always target a slight overpitch.

And it saves a little money, too.
 
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