Never Started My Yeast

Anyone else never use a yeast starter? I am on my 4th batch and I have not used a starter and don't really plan to. I have used dry yeast and smack packs and have never had a problem. Anyone else that doesn't use a starter and if not ever have a problem?

I never use a starter for dry yeast, only rehydrate. For liquid yeasts I went for years with no starter and had great results. After using starters though I find that my fermentation starts earlier and is much more aggressive (stopped using air locks in favor of a blow-off tube). Plus, my FG is usually a couple of points lower using a starter. You'll still make good beer without though.

I've done 5 batches and also never done a starter. Really wish I had on one of them, though: I'm dealing with a possible stuck fermentation. That was a 1.086 OG beer, though; for the average gravity ones it's always fermented out fine.

Another aspect of this is that even if you get a good healthy fermentation without a starter, I guess there's some thought that underpitching can result in "stressed" yeast and the development of off-flavors as a result. I don't have nearly the experience to give any thoughts on this, I'm just sharing what I've heard.

FWIW (AFAIK):
Batches under ~1.060: rehydrated dry or straight pitched liquid yeast should be fine.
Batches over 1.060: if you don't make a starter, it'll probably get stuck and you'll probably have issues.
YMMV. STFU.

Jakemo said:

FWIW (AFAIK):
Batches under ~1.060: rehydrated dry or straight pitched liquid yeast should be fine.
Batches over 1.060: if you don't make a starter, it'll probably get stuck and you'll probably have issues.
YMMV. STFU.

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My veeeerrrrry limited experience matches this perfectly. FWIW/YMMV/IANAL/etc...

Rehydrate?

I just sprinkle my yeast on top and am rocking the airlock the next morning. 1.056 is my average OG.

I'm fairly certain it's a combination of osmotic pressures and cell count requirements that make it so.

I just brewed my 400th batch. I never make starters for dry yeast. I always make a starter for any beer over 1.040 for liquid yeast. My experience of 400 batches is that every batch I make a starter for turns out better than any batch I don't.

BendBrewer said:

Rehydrate?

I just sprinkle my yeast on top and am rocking the airlock the next morning. 1.056 is my average OG.

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That's worked for me in the past too. However I just listened to a yeast episode of Brew Strong where Jamil indicated that you lose a lot of dry yeast when you pitch directly to the wort. I've never had an issue but I don't use a lot of dry yeast either.

jerryalan said:

That's worked for me in the past too. However I just listened to a yeast episode of Brew Strong where Jamil indicated that you lose a lot of dry yeast when you pitch directly to the wort. I've never had an issue but I don't use a lot of dry yeast either.

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When I sprinkle it on top of this, I think the re-hydration takes care of itself.



Who in the hell is Jamil?

Jamil is the host of Brew Strong. I don't know his credentials, but he definitely knows his ****. Between him and the peopleehe has on his show, it's worth respecting his thoughts.

I've pitched dry yeast on two of my batches now, and won't do it again. Rehydrating the yeast, at the very minimum, makes a world of difference.

I cheat and just rehydrate two packs of dry yeast >_>

BendBrewer said:

When I sprinkle it on top of this, I think the re-hydration takes care of itself.

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My understanding -- and I'm not sure I'm remembering correctly, so take this with a grain of salt -- is that the point of rehydrating separately is that the yeast are ideally rehydrated at around 90-100F, but you don't want to pitch into a wort that's hotter than 70-75F at the very most (and many people say even cooler is better). Supposedly if you rehydrate at those cooler temperatures, less of the yeast make it.

If I'm pitching a new smack pack and my OG is around 1.050, no starter. But with washed yeast, a starter is always a good idea regardless of gravity to make sure the little buggers are still alive.

I've been brewing for a few years...and have really come to respect yeast starters. I often have active fermentation in 3 hours! I find the yeast is more aggressive, ferments out faster and leaves a cleaner flavor in my beer. I've drank plenty of homebrew since I started brewing and I've never had more consistent fermentation than when doing starters.

Now...that being said, I've also had amazing homebrew without starters! But I've you're going for a big beer...pitch lots of happy little yeasties! Your taste buds, and higher attenuated beer, will thank you for it

Jakemo said:

Jamil is the host of Brew Strong. I don't know his credentials, but he definitely knows his ****. Between him and the peopleehe has on his show, it's worth respecting his thoughts.

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He's a multiple Ninkasi award winner and now the owner of a commercial brewery, Heretic brewing.

jsweet said:

My understanding -- and I'm not sure I'm remembering correctly, so take this with a grain of salt -- is that the point of rehydrating separately is that the yeast are ideally rehydrated at around 90-100F, but you don't want to pitch into a wort that's hotter than 70-75F at the very most (and many people say even cooler is better). Supposedly if you rehydrate at those cooler temperatures, less of the yeast make it.

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It's no so much the temp as the osmotic pressure of the wort destroying yeast cells.

BendBrewer said:

When I sprinkle it on top of this, I think the re-hydration takes care of itself.

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If it works it works. It worked for me too (as I stated). I was just relaying what I heard from one of the experts in the hobby...

BendBrewer said:

Who in the hell is Jamil?

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Host of Brew Strong and Can You Brew It. Also co-author of "Yeast - A Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamil_Zainasheff

jerryalan said:

If it works it works. It worked for me too (as I stated). I was just relaying what I heard from one of the experts in the hobby...

Host of Brew Strong and Can You Brew It. Also co-author of "Yeast - A Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamil_Zainasheff

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I'm not familiar with Brew Strong. Ill have to look into it.

I used to not use yeast starters, but all of my recent batches where I have used a starter have led to comments that they are my best beers yet.

I'm in the same boat. Since I've been doing starters I get comments like "I would buy this in the store" or "seriously, you made this!? You can't even tell"

Personally, yeast starters have upgraded my beer big time