Starter needed for high OG, 1 gallon brew?

[MXDXD]

Hi,

I'll be brewing a high OG ale (Wee Heavy) during the Holidays period. I received the yeast, and by Mr. Malty/Brewers Friend calculator, I'm okay as far as yeast count is concerned, considering manufacturing date. I'm somewhat borderline, but I'm okay.

Which makes me wondering : considering the high OG (projected 1.093), do I need to make a starter, regardless of cell count being okay? Or, precision : it's a 1-gallon brew. Other precision : I never made a starter and I do not have any equiment to do that. Would the carboy be okay?

 

[ffaoe]

For a one gallon brew, you're fine. No starter would be needed.

 

[Brettomomyces]

You never really NEED to make a starter as long as you are fine with buying the appropriate amount of yeast. It is definitely a cost savings process. Ideally you'd pitch fresh yeast onto every batch, but if you're brewing 10g of a 1.080 lager you're going to have to buy something like 8-10 packs of yeast, depending on cell counts. Which can cost more than the rest of the beer sometimes.

For a 1g batch you should be good to go with 1 pack.

 

[shtoive87]

The equipment for a starter is a jar and some dme. You don't need the fancy stir plate and flask.

 

[cjgenever]

The equipment for a starter is a jar and some dme. You don't need the fancy stir plate and flask.

Stir plate is a revelation, like cavemen discovering fire. I have done starters in 2l soda bottles with great success but it is so much babysitting

 

[Brettomomyces]

Definitely don't need a fancy stir plate, I built mine out of a $14 fan on amazon that has a speed knob and a usb power hook up, a magnet from an old hard drive and a cigar box. My flasks are 4L kitchen storage containers I got from work, flat bottomed and lets me top crop if I want.

 

[MXDXD]

Stir plates are awesome (a friend of mine has one...), but they're also a pointless purchase/hassle to "build" when you're a 1-gallom brewer.

 

[Brew_G]

Stir plates are awesome (a friend of mine has one...), but they're also a pointless purchase/hassle to "build" when you're a 1-gallom brewer.

Starters in general - never mind stir plates - are pointless/unnecessary for 1-gallon batches.