Massive fermentation is better?

[newbies13]

Quick question...

I've been doing moderate to low alcohol beers, and experimented with yeast starters on a few of them. I've noticed that when I do a yeast starter I almost always get massive fermentation that requires a blow off tube. Without them I still get fermentation, but it takes a few hours and never really goes crazy.

Is the more vigorous fermentation worth the hassle? Making a yeast starter, and having yet another thing to clean...

 

[k_mcarthur]

I don't brew unless my starter is ready, its the first step to make really good beer. The flavors are much cleaner with sufficient pitch rates, when the yeast finishes fermenting they start to clean up their own off flavors. Larger cell count means they metabolize off flavors faster and more complete. Don't get me wrong, my first couple of years I would just warm up and pitch a vial of white labs, and I was ecstatic with the beer I was making. My main concern other than final flavors is knowing I am pitching live healthy yeast, if you make a starter you know 100% that's what you have. Now a days I don't buy yeast anymore, I have plated my favorite strains and a week before brewday I take a scraping from the plate and build it up. The only way to do that is of course with starters, I've saved hundreds that way.

 

[newbies13]

I think the key point that is causing me to question starters is the idea that "the flavors are cleaner with sufficient pitch rates." For a normal batch size, with only moderate sugars to eat through I was under the impression that your standard smack pack was sufficient. I guess the follow up question would be, how many cell count is enough? I.E what about doing a double starter and have even more cells?

 

[Chupidacabra]

Check out mr malty. Good software for showing proper pitch rate.

 

[newbies13]

Interesting. Assuming those calculations are accurate it looks like you should ideally always use a starter.

 

[k_mcarthur]

Interesting. Assuming those calculations are accurate it looks like you should ideally always use a starter.

Exactly, I never brew if my starter isn't ready. Never have any problems with fermenting.