cutchemist42
Well-Known Member
They said that there is not enough cells even with the starter smack pack inside to properly innoculate a typical 5 gallon, 5% beer. Is this true?
Hello, fellow Winnipegger.
The "smack packs" have about 100 billion cells.
Mr. Malty says you need 180 billion cells for 5.25 gallons of a 1.050 ale.
The answer is: a smack-pack probably contains enough yeast to get the job done, especially if it was produced recently and you have a relatively small beer. However, if the pack is a bit old, or if you have a bigger beer, you should make a starter. Thousands of brewers probably use no starter and feel like their beer is fine.
Personally, I would never pitch a smack-pack with no starter.
Just curious then, how does a starter increase the capability of yeast? Like will a starter take a smack packed Wyeast pack and increase the yeast past 100 billion?
That's exactly what a starter does. If you are a really new brewer consider dry yeast to make things easy for your first few batches.
I've actually been brewing for about 2 years but after reading this book, started thinking about my yeast. So how many billion yeast cells are created with a starter?
Wyeast have two products an Activator and a Propagator. According to Wyeast the Activator is sufficient to inoculate a 5 gallon batch and the Propagator is not and needs a starter. Both have "smack pack" nutrients inside. I have used both with excellent success. I make 1.5 quarts of wort for both kinds. Some will say the Activator really does not need one some say all of them need a starter. I make starters, is easy and fast and fun
Propagators don't exist anymore btw.
Anything over 1.050 I'm using 2 packs worth or the appropriate level starter. Pitching 1 million cells per ml of wort per degree plato is a good rule of thumb.
2 packs?!! Man I find liquid yeast to be, well, a huge ripoff.
It seems to me like a small price to pay to turn your sugar water into good beer. They yeast are doing the lion's share of that work!
2 packs?!! Man I find liquid yeast to be, well, a huge ripoff. I've started washing it when I use it, but have also been trying to stick to recipes that are dry-yeast friendly. Even $2 or so for the dry stuff seems like a ripoff to me. And believe me, I'm no cheap bastard.
I just hate constantly buying stuff that I can either reuse, or make more of for free via a starter. Although it is fun to smack those things...
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