is it really neccesary?

Will I be able to tell the difference in my beer in any way if I make a starter with my british ale liquid pitchable yeast white labs or if I juct pitch it in to the wort without a starter.

The word "pitchable" on the label tells me it would be fine, am I wrong?

Thanks

I know this has probably been asked and answered before but thanks to any with info.

Taste-wise, maybe, maybe not. There are pros and cons to making a starter. Some fear risking infection by adding an extra step to their brewing.

I'm the opposite. I like starters for two reasons. First, you can tell if the yeast you have is viable or not. This is especcaily good to know if you have yeast that is near or past the "use by" date.

Secondly, I find that the fermentation starts a lot quicker when I make a starter. I used to pitch just the WL vials and it would take 24 hours before I saw activity. With a starter, it's usually 3-5 hours - sometimes longer, sometimes faster! Less fermentation lag = less chance for infection.

The starter just give your yeasties some time to multiply, which they will do anyways in your wort. It also verifies they are still alive. It mostly ensures a quick fermentation.

The taste shoudl not differ.

good points

You -can- pitch it directly in a 5 gal batch. However, you will find with a starter you get a much more healthy and quick fermentation. Starters are easy and only take a day or two so, IMHO, there isn't much reason not to other than a surprise brew day.

i always make a starter. i want to know my yeast is good and i want a good cell count, short lag time, and a nice vigorous fermentation

Necessary? No, definitely not necessary, but I tell you what, you have one vial of dead yeast, or one stuck fermentation, and you will be making starters from there on out. So, I say, why not just start now?