Why do you make a starter?

[NordeastBrewer77]

Ok, I've been discussing the different reasons that we make yeast starters on this thread, and it has me wondering.....
I make starters to grow yeast, and don't pay much attention to pitching active yeast, as I do to pitching enough healthy yeast.
Why do you guys make starters?

 

[bottlebomber]

With some strains they aren't as lively out of vial as others. Wyeast 2001, a favored lager strain of mine, takes about 2 days to wake up and start eating. Even if you pitched 5 bags it wouldn't have the same result.

 

[duboman]

Ok, I've been discussing the different reasons that we make yeast starters on this thread, and it has me wondering.....
I make starters to grow yeast, and don't pay much attention to pitching active yeast, as I do to pitching enough healthy yeast.
Why do you guys make starters?

I make starters for all my beer for the primary reason of ensuring I am pitching the proper rate for the beer I am brewing. I take care in making my each starter so I am growing healthy yeast up to the proper pitching rate. In addition, I crash and decant each starter and generally pitch colder and allow the wort to self rise to desired fermentation temperature for a controlled fermentation. I do use a stir plate as well and always use extra light DME and nutrient.

 

[Stauffbier]

My answer to the poll was "To grow enough yeast for your batch", but ensuring yeast viability is just as important to me.

 

[bottlebomber]

I make a starter because Revvy told me to.

 

[BrotherGrim]

I don't worry too much about how much I am pitching, for me the reason for the starter is to ensure good viability and to really kick off the ferment. I pitched my Fizzy Yellow about 3 hours ago and my blowoff tube is bubbling like a Lawrence Welk show.

 

[TrainSafe]

I make a starter because Revvy told me to.

Lol.

This should be an option in voting.

 

[kh54s10]

All of the choices for me. I want the proper cell count, I want to know I have viable yeast, I want them ready to do the job and it is kind of fun.

 

[nukebrewer]

I also answered "All of the above." The first three are all very good reasons for making a starter but, at least for now, using my new stir plate kicks ass. SWMBO and I both get a kick out of watching it in action.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Lol.

This should be an option in voting.

Sorry, can't edit the options, I tried.

I'm not ashamed to say this, but that's actually a good enough reason in my book to do many things (notincludingthemonthplusprimaryforeverybeer rigamarole) in your brewery. Some may not like his style, but when I first got into this hobdiction and found this site, I learned a ton from Revvy, among others.

I figured I'd get alot of "all of the above" responses, so I left the poll a multiple choice, since all 4 are great reasons to make a starter.