Wyeast + yeast starter?

[jamie3]

Whenever I use liquid yeast I always use the WYeast brand and smack the pack 24 hours prior to brewing/pitching. I've read on the manufacturers website that the purpose of activating the yeast 24 hours in advance it to ensure a healthy yeast. I'm wondering if it makes sense to additionally make a yeast starter with the activated pack after the 24 hours?

I would expect that a using yeast starter would make sense if the wyeast was washed/re-used from a prior batch.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

The smack pack can tell you the viability of the yeast, a yeast starter will increase the population of viable yeast cells.

My modus operandi is usually to make a starter with the yeast, regardless of whether or not the pack swells (far in advance). If the starter doesn't take, make a new starter with a different pack.

If the pack has swelled, it's probably better to use it in your starter before 72 hours or so (that's my educated guess).

Let me know if I didn't address your question right.

TB