My first time freakout post

Alright, well I started my first batch tonight and got on here to read some more threads and learn a few things...what's a yeast starter? My instructions just said"pitch the yeast" and I even read the beginner's section of "The Joy of Homebrewing", and none of them explained it past just that phrase. So I put my wort in the plastic fermenting bucket, filled it up to 5 gallons and once it was about 75 degrees, I emptied the packet of dry yeast into the wort and closed the top with an airlock. Was I supposed to do something more with the yeast? I didn't know if I screwed up or if I was just doing a simpler process as a beginner batch. Oh, and the kit is an alternative to Frog 'n' Hound Pub Ale and I used Nottingham dry yeast if that information helps. Hopefully I'm overreacting....please let me know. Thanks!

I just brewed my first batch over the weekend, so I know how you're feeling. It seems like most of the yeast that comes in the kits just gets pitched beore you put the lid on your fermentor. I'm confident that you are fine, but I'm sure someone with a little more experience can confirm that.

RDWHAHB!
What you did was fine, however in the future you might want to hydrate the dry yeast in a little boiled-then-cooled water, this will ensure that they are "awake," active and ready to start eating the sugars in the wort. You can think of a starter as a mini batch of wort that is usually used with liquid yeast. It is used to kick start the yeast and build up the yeast. This decreases lag time and gives a more thorough, vigorous fermentation with less off flavors.
To prepare: bring 500ml of water to a boil, add 1/2 cup DME and continue boiling for 15min, chill down to 80F and add your tube/"smacked" packet of yeast. Let if ferment for around 8 hours and then pitch into your beer.

You should be fine. I've haven't used dry yeast yet but many people just pitch it like you did. For more info, go here;
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-5.html
or here;
http://www.beerdude.com/yeast_starter.shtml
or here;
[ame="http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&q=yeast+starter&btnG=Google+Search"]http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&q=yeast+starter&btnG=Google+Search[/ame]

Thanks for your help....I'll go have a beer.

You don't need a starter with dried yeast. They are ready to go. Keep your fermentaion temps at around 70 or a bit less and you will get less off flavors in your beer. Good Luck and be patient.

Yeah, with dry yeast, just rehydrate it, next time, in some 75F water. WHY? Well, the cell calls of the dried yeast are not ready for sugars right away, you will kill off some of your yeast and weaken others. By rehydrating it, you are waking up the yeast, rehydrating the cell walls and when they get into the wort, the cell walls are ready to ferment some sugars. You will be fine though.

You will see much quicker fermentation activity if you hydrate dry yeast first, or make a starter for liquid yeast.

What you did is perfectly fine, it may just be longer than you would like before you start to see your first beer making bubbles in your airlock.