starters are a breeze. i just use a vial of pitchable yeast and add it to a "mini" wort the day before i brew. I use a
2000 ml Pyrex flask for my starters. I heat 1300 ml water, add 1 cup light, dried malt extract, and disolve, bring to a gentle boil, and boil for 15 minutes. after 15 minutes, i pour the wort into the cleaned and sanitized flask, cover tightly w/ foil, and set the flask in an ice bath in the sink. after it cools to touch, i shake the flask real good to aerate the wort, open the vial of White Labs yeast, and poor it in the flask, cover with a cleaned and sanitized air lock/stopper, and let 'er go to work. i usually see activity in 2-4 hours. i keep it at room temp on the kitchen counter until i need it to pitch in the main wort the next day. when you start making the starter, remove the vial of yeast from the fridge, so it can come to room temp before pitching. you always want to have the starter at the same temp (or close) to the desired pitching temp of the main wort you will add it too. some people decant the liquide off the top of the slury in the starter and just pitch the slurry to the mian wort, and some add all (i do). i just swirle the starter flask real good to mix up the slury and wort, and pour it into my primary. i see activity in my primary in 4-6 hours. you'll get a good strong ferment from it, with better flavored and protected beer! check out
www.WhiteLabs.com web page, they have a decent FAQ page with yeast starter info.
hope this helps?
cheers!
DeRoux's Broux