Do you always use a Yeast Starter?

[jamina1]

Howdy! I'm a fairly new homebrewer and last night I brewed my first 5 gallon batch. I've done 3 - 1.5 gallon all-grain beers before hand, but since I still lack equipment for complete all grain at larger size, this was just an extract kit.

The kit came with Danstar Munich dry yeast, so I reserved some wort from the boil and added the yeast and let it sit overnight while the rest of the wort cooled (I'm doing slo-chill because I don't have a wort chiller either). Everything looked great and I pitched it this morning into the cooled wort.

However, reading the instructions now (whoops maybe I should have done that beforehand) Danstar recommends pitching directly onto the wort and not using a starter - it specifically says this can negatively affect viability.

The starter was bubbling happily this morning so I'm certain that the yeasties were going to town but I just hope I didn't prematurely ruin them or anything.

So - my question is - do you always use a yeast starter or only when the yeast specifically suggests it?

 

[brewshki]

Howdy! I'm a fairly new homebrewer and last night I brewed my first 5 gallon batch. I've done 3 - 1.5 gallon all-grain beers before hand, but since I still lack equipment for complete all grain at larger size, this was just an extract kit.



The kit came with Danstar Munich dry yeast, so I reserved some wort from the boil and added the yeast and let it sit overnight while the rest of the wort cooled (I'm doing slo-chill because I don't have a wort chiller either). Everything looked great and I pitched it this morning into the cooled wort.



However, reading the instructions now (whoops maybe I should have done that beforehand) Danstar recommends pitching directly onto the wort and not using a starter - it specifically says this can negatively affect viability.



The starter was bubbling happily this morning so I'm certain that the yeasties were going to town but I just hope I didn't prematurely ruin them or anything.



So - my question is - do you always use a yeast starter or only when the yeast specifically suggests it?

I only ever use dry yeast when I make cider, but I never make a starter. From what I have read, a starter is not necessary for dry yeast and the best results come from following the manufacturers instructions. As long as you see some signs of fermentation, I wouldn't worry this time. But yes, I always do starters for my beers. I like how much quicker they take off and after plugging the manufacturing date into beer smith, I think they are necessary to get enough cells.

 

[jesran]

I never use starters. I refuse to. I consider it opening my beer up to oxidation, over heating stress, contamination, risking creating spoiled yeast that prefer extract to grain... Furthermore, I consider it brewing twice which I refuse to do.

I guess my brewing method is so simple (biab) that it's not much more involved than creating starter because other brewers disagree with me about the brewing twice comment usually. Anyway, what I do instead of the whole starter thing is create a pater's beer first which is essentially a 5 gallon starter, but I get to use it. It is 10 lbs. of pilsner and lightly hopped only. It ferments quickly and reliably. I specifically spend no time fussing over it. It's the cheapest beer I make in terms of money and time, and it's pretty consistent.

The beer can be kept for blending later. Or sometimes I use it to cap off my sour barrel. Other times I simply bottle or keg it and it's usually a pretty awesome quaffer.

The trick is after syphoning the pater's beer off to whatever purpose I dump about 80% of the dregs and put the wort for the second beer right on top of it. I find this method minimizes risk of infection and usually the yeast is ready for a bigger second beer; double, tripel, saison, could be anything really.

 

[steven_mac]

For beers with an original gravity over 1.060 it's a good idea to at least rehydrate the dry yeast to ensure viability. Last thing you want is your primary fermentation to poop out halfway through.

 

[eadavis80]

When using liquid yeast or harvested/washed yeast, I make starters regardless of the beer's expected OG. When using dry yeast, I always rehydrate prior to pitching.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Ive yet to make a starter but use mostly dry and reused yeast.Also if your reading kit directions skip the secondary that they tell you to do.Also reuse your yeast cake from this batch for your next batch.Youll save money, have a giant yeast count and starters will be a mute point...assuming your using the same type of yeast on your next batch

 

[kombat]

Do not make starters with dry yeast. All of the yeast manufacturers, and virtually all brewing literature, recommends against this practice.

Make starters for liquid yeast. Dry yeast should be rehydrated, in plain water, per the instructions on the manufacturers' websites.

 

[mongoose33]

I've used Safale S-04 a lot, and it's a dry yeast. I just sprinkle it on top of the wort, and away it goes. I've been using it with beers over 1.06 original gravity, and still it works great.

I make a Rye beer with California Lager Yeast for which I do a starter. I've used both Wyeast 2112 and White Labs WLP810 in that role, and both worked great.

 

[theheroguy]

I never use starters. I refuse to. I consider it opening my beer up to oxidation, over heating stress, contamination, risking creating spoiled yeast that prefer extract to grain... Furthermore, I consider it brewing twice which I refuse to do.

I guess my brewing method is so simple (biab) that it's not much more involved than creating starter because other brewers disagree with me about the brewing twice comment usually. Anyway, what I do instead of the whole starter thing is create a pater's beer first which is essentially a 5 gallon starter, but I get to use it. It is 10 lbs. of pilsner and lightly hopped only. It ferments quickly and reliably. I specifically spend no time fussing over it. It's the cheapest beer I make in terms of money and time, and it's pretty consistent.

The beer can be kept for blending later. Or sometimes I use it to cap off my sour barrel. Other times I simply bottle or keg it and it's usually a pretty awesome quaffer.

The trick is after syphoning the pater's beer off to whatever purpose I dump about 80% of the dregs and put the wort for the second beer right on top of it. I find this method minimizes risk of infection and usually the yeast is ready for a bigger second beer; double, tripel, saison, could be anything really.

This is some of the worst advice you will ever receive on this website. Starters are easy to do in a sanitary fashion with basic sanitation, cleanliness and common sense. Yeast from a starter will not suffer from "over heating stress" even if the starter is kept above 80F yeast can easily survive over 100F in fact they prefer that higher temperature. Pitching onto a yeast cake is NOT good practice. While non of us have a great idea of our true cell counts unless we measure them I can assure you that for many beer styles a yeast cake is a dramatic ridiculously high over pitch. For a lager/clean/big beer this will be much less of an issue. Over pitch a hefe and it won't taste right at all.

The solution for a starter can be made from all grain wort it doesn't have to be extract. It doesn't matter anyway though because extract is just wort with the water removed. Honestly don't listen to this guy.

 

[permo]

I use starters %100 of the time and I use only liquid or harvested yeast. Big pitches of healthy yeast and controlling your fermentation temperature are two the biggest things you can do to ensure consistent and delicious beer.

 

[edb]

Starters are pretty much not needed for the smaller batches that you're doing. Most commercial yeasts are good for 5 gallons (and more for dry yeast) so you're over pitching which is ok.

Also you can make starters for dry yeast if you feel you need to pitch more than the package is good for. A friend of mine thats won plenty of awards routinely uses starters for his dry yeast on his 10 gallon batches and the beers fermented normally and turned out fine. By no means does making a starter for dry yeast mean your beer will not ferment.

My last 2 batches were both S-05 I had a packet of yeast that was sitting in the fridge for a year and it was still within its exp date but I decided to make a 1.5 L starter for it. The other batch was fresh yeast and pitched directly. Both beers are pretty much done fermenting and just waiting for my lazy ass to clean some kegs.

Brewing beer is forgiving you see by this thread that ppl take different approaches to it all the time, according to all the books you have to chill your wort yet in Australia they routinely use the no-chill method and it still comes out fine. Racking your beer to a secondary is not required yet I'm sure some books say it is.

 

[kh54s10]

For dry yeast - just rehydrate. 30 minutes before pitching into the wort. It has been said that pitching dry yeast into wort will kill as much as 50% of the yeast. IDK, because the yeast mfgs also say you can sprinkle it on the wort surface.

For liquid yeast - every time that the OG is over 1.030. Some homebrewers will go as high as 1.060.

Added: as noted by edb - this is for 5 gallon batches.