NB Black IPA Questions - Yeast Starter or no?

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redshift

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First, I'm relaxed, and I've got a home brew. :mug:

OK, so I've chosen my 3rd kit and ordered and received my Northern Brewer Black IPA kit, but I'm hoping you guys can clarify a couple of points for me - Brewing this Saturday afternoon. Let me start with I chose the liquid option and I got a Wyeast American Ale II smack pack.

So the first point of confusion is that they recommend "2 stage fermentation and yeast starter" in the product description. 2 stage no problem, but yeast starter? I've read about 300 pages on the topic and don't see why I'd have any problems making one - the question is should I? The directions sheet from NB don't say a thing about it (yet their website does). The Wyeast pack says direct pitch. <sigh> This is where I need advice... I'm leaning towards making the starter just 'cause.

Last question, in the sheet, it mentions 1lb corn sugar late addition (0 min). Do I do this before (flame out), after, or as I'm cooling to pitching temperatures?
 
Kits always tailor their instructions for those who read their instructions -- which means they are assuming you will be using their provided kit yeast. Pitch the Wyeast right in and you'll be fine.

What exactly does it say about the late addition fermentable?
 
Mr Malty says without a starter you would need 270 billion yeast cells, or 2.8 packets of liquid yeast for this beer. So yes, I would make a starter.

If you are brewing Saturday, the starter should have been made on Tuesday or Wednesday to give the yeast enough time to reproduce sufficiently. Making it a few days earlier will also give you time to cold-crash and decant the spent wort from the starter - if you are one who likes to decant before pitching. I would still make the starter ASAP to get the yeast reproducing then just pitch the whole thing on Saturday when you are ready.

You can boil the corn sugar in 1 to 2 cups of water then add it to the boiling wort 10-minutes before the end of the boil. This way the corn sugar is fully dissolved when you add it to the wort. Pre-boiling the corn sugar makes it easier to add to your wort and the boil sterilizes the sugar.

The Black IPA (all-grain) is one of my favorite kits from Northern Brewer. I definitely plan on making this one again. I'd suggest letting this beer age for at least a month after bottling/kegging since the flavors mellowed a lot and the caramel/toffee notes were really popping at about 2-months old.

Good luck!
 
There's no smack pack or liquid vial that has enough yeast for optimal pitching of a 5 gallon batch. You always need a starter to ramp up to optimal pitching.

I ignored starters for a long time, then joined a brew club. Everyone tasted acetylaldehyde (green apple/cidery off flavor) in my beers.

So I started making starters and paying a little more attention to my yeast health.

No more green apple.

I know guys that won't even make an IPA unless they have a cup of yeast slurry off a previous batch (like a pale ale) to use. A starter isn't even sufficient in their eyes...and they make some really good beer so I won't even debate it with them.
 
Thanks to all for the advice and, well, helping me read what was printed on the sheet - if not so clearly! I made a 2L sized starter and let that work for a bit over 24 hours. I'll make it another day or two sooner next time. Note to self, swirling a working starter can be a very messy thing! That being said, the brew went smoothly and it sure didn't take very long until it was bubbling and foaming away. I switched to fermenting in a carboy with blow-off tubing this time which sure is a lot more interesting than staring at a bucket hoping it bubbles!
 
Nice man, I'm brewing this as soon as my St. Paul porter finishes in primary. I plan on racking the porter to secondary and then racking the cooled wort right onto the safale-05 cake. 5 gallon decanted starter baby!
 
I personally brewed this kit and did not use a starter. It turned out great and finished out at 1.014 after 5 weeks in Primary. Of course using a starter would only help, but in my experience it was not necessary.

Tom
 
Hi all, I did this recipe this past friday, 3 days ago, and only used 1 smack pack, no starter. OG was 1.073.

Is it ok/or should I add another pack of yeast now? It's fermenting at 66-67 and the bubbles have been steady on the slow side.
 
Hi all, I did this recipe this past friday, 3 days ago, and only used 1 smack pack, no starter. OG was 1.073.

Is it ok/or should I add another pack of yeast now? It's fermenting at 66-67 and the bubbles have been steady on the slow side.

Well sure it's slow going, your yeasties are a little stressed out in there, but don't pitch more yeast just yet. Let it ride for now. Maybe even warm up your fermenter a bit. Check your gravity after 3wks, and then again 2 days later. If your reading doesn't change and is way high, then pitch some more yeast to finish the job. All that said, your 1 smack pack should be able to handle the job, it'll just take a little longer. ~Cheers
 
I brewed an AG version of this recipe doing BIAB and I did not make a starter. Pitched one pack of Wyeast 1272 and the thing took off. Actually had to put my blowoff tube onto my fermenting bucket. Still have 2 weeks to go until it's ready to bottle so I haven't had a chance to get a FG reading on it yet. I'll probably take a reading next week when I add my dry hops.

I'm actually just getting into making starters myself but I haven't in any of the brews I've made so far (around 20 batches) and they've all come out tasting great, with the exception of a couple that fermented a bit on the warm side this summer...

I'm planning on starting to wash my yeast and harvest it for future batches so I don't have to buy as much liquid yeast...
 
This is the only beer I've made so far that did not get the correct attenuation. I did not use a starter. I used a wyeast smack pack. Now, I have read that the extract version does not get as much attenuation and it leaves the front of the beer sweeter than you would like but I can't help but wonder if I prepared the little yeast-ies for battle, would then have done more?
 
BTW, now that I think about it, the NB recipe does not list what the target FG should be. Does anyone know what the FG for this beer should be? I had an OG of 1.073 on mine btw...
 
BTW, now that I think about it, the NB recipe does not list what the target FG should be. Does anyone know what the FG for this beer should be? I had an OG of 1.073 on mine btw...

Why is it that NB never lists the target FG on any of their recipes?

I just dry hopped my batch last night and I took a gravity reading and it was 1.016 after 2 weeks in the fermentor. I'll be happy with that. BTW, it tasted AWESOME! :mug:
 
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