honey starter?

[cheschire]

Tomorrow is my first solo all grain brewday! Also my first time using liquid yeast.
Its an english ale smackpack. I think its Wyeast 1028...
can I make a starter using honey rather than DME since I dont have any?
Or do smackpacks even need starters?
my OG is planning on being 1.067. The dead guy ale clone

 

[TipsyDragon]

smack packs need starters. you can use honey but you need to add yeast nutrient, probably several times.

 

[cheschire]

why several times?

 

[TipsyDragon]

honey has absolutely no nutrients in it what so ever. the yeast will chew threw any nutrients that you add fairly quickly. a lack of nutrients will stress the yeast making them questionable for a starter.

 

[cheschire]

any ideas on an amount of nutrients to add? should it all be at once in the beginning or add little bits throughout the fermentation?

 

[tonkota]

http://www.wyeastlab.com/faqs.cfm?website=1#r19

If it is a Wyeast Activator pack, no need for a starter.

 

[cheschire]

haha thanks... I guess doing some research pays off...