So here is the deal. I am heading to my local HBS tonight to pick up the stuff for Saturday. What I am wondering is is I will need to do a yeast starter. I will be using Wyeast 2112 California Lager. Fermenting at 60 degrees. Its a Cali-common from extract this time. I'm not even sure I will have enough time to do a starter considering we are brewing on Saturday. I would rather not do one if I can. What do you guys think. If I do start one tonight will it have enough time to multiply before Saturday afternoon?
Do I need a starter?
- Thread starter McDoogles
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
What's the date on the yeast and what's your expected og?
There are plenty of yeast calculators online which will help you see how many millions of cells short you might be.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/
There are plenty of yeast calculators online which will help you see how many millions of cells short you might be.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/
Do you have a stir plate? If so start it tonight, ASAP, run until tomorrow night put in the refrigerator at about 24 hours. Just before pitching on Saturday, decant the liquid if it has settled. If not pitch the whole starter.
If you don't have a stir plate, and your OG is over 1.050, I would either pitch multiple packages or substitute a dry yeast.
The single pack will ferment the beer, but if you pitch the right amount of yeast it will make the beer better.
If you don't have a stir plate, and your OG is over 1.050, I would either pitch multiple packages or substitute a dry yeast.
The single pack will ferment the beer, but if you pitch the right amount of yeast it will make the beer better.
I brewed about a dozen batches, extract, BIAB and all-grain before I started making yeast starters and never had a problem. If you do decide to make a starter tonight, and let it run for 24 hours, you'll still have another 18 hours of chill time in the fridge before you brew. Yes you'll have enough time.
To make the best beer requires a certain amount of yeast to be present when fermenting. How you get there is up to you. You can make a starter, pitch multiple packs, or create the conditions in your wort for the yeast to multiply. If you aerate your wort when you put it into the fermenter you create the necessary condition for yeast multiplication. The only difference between that and a starter is lag time which would happen in the starter instead of the fermenter.
Similar threads
