I've brewed 8 batches now and have always just pitched the White Labs liquid yeast without creating a starter and have had good results. What are the added benefits to a starter and how do I go about doing it? Thanks in advance.
Question with Yeast starters
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Thalon
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The biggest reason to use a starter with normal gravity beers (<= 1.060) is to prove the yeast is viable. If you're buying them online and having them shipped, it's possible they could've been subjected to adverse conditions for storage, such as in a hot room, etc. You make a starter to ensure the yeast are healthy and ready to work. Or if they're close to or past their expiration date, they need the extra time in wort to 'wake back up.' Other benefits include more complete fermentation, shorter lag times (which in turn means less chance of contamination), and usually a more vigorous fermentation.
With big beers >1.060, you need a starter to grow the cell count enough to have enough yeast to completely ferment the beer. Otherwise you'll likely end up with stuck fermentation and have to pitch another pack.
Palmer explains how to put together a starter much better than I have time for this morning. Hope that helps.
With big beers >1.060, you need a starter to grow the cell count enough to have enough yeast to completely ferment the beer. Otherwise you'll likely end up with stuck fermentation and have to pitch another pack.
Palmer explains how to put together a starter much better than I have time for this morning. Hope that helps.
Making a starter is very beneficial to your yeast, and therefore your brew. Do it once, and you will wonder why you never did in the past.
Very simple process. Bring two cups of water to a boil and add 1/2 cup DME. Stir and boil for about 10 minutes to sanitize. Add this mixture to a bottle or jar of some sort and shake the living crap out of it to aerate. After that, pitch your yeast and cover with tin foil/plastic/airlock etc
This can be done as little as a day before or as long as 10 days before. I think the best case scenario is probably somewhere between one and three days.
Trust me it is worth it.
Very simple process. Bring two cups of water to a boil and add 1/2 cup DME. Stir and boil for about 10 minutes to sanitize. Add this mixture to a bottle or jar of some sort and shake the living crap out of it to aerate. After that, pitch your yeast and cover with tin foil/plastic/airlock etc
This can be done as little as a day before or as long as 10 days before. I think the best case scenario is probably somewhere between one and three days.
Trust me it is worth it.
Give this a read: http://www.mrmalty.com/starter_faq.htm
Once convinced how easy and beneficial a starter is you can use this to calculate how big you should make your starter.
Once convinced how easy and beneficial a starter is you can use this to calculate how big you should make your starter.
This is a good description: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Washing_yeast
Also, if you search the forum, there are some post where people have detailed it with pictures...pictures really help the process the first time. It is easy and as long as you keep thing very clean and sanitary, it is a great money saving venture.
Also, if you search the forum, there are some post where people have detailed it with pictures...pictures really help the process the first time. It is easy and as long as you keep thing very clean and sanitary, it is a great money saving venture.
