Yeast Starter Questions - Novice

[ecrouch10]

I consider myself a novice brewer - still doing extract brews. I have never made a yeast starter before pitching -- always directly pitched dry/wyeast/white labs with no starter.

I picked up a high OG stout (w00t stout) from norther and they do state a starter is all but necessary.

Questions -- do I need a stir plate -- will it make that big of a difference? I plan on picking up a 2L flask -- this will be okay? Also, would you recommend a starter for all brews? Even something standard like a wheat extract kit from one of the many shops? Will it make the finished product noticeably better in your opinion?

 

[LLBeanJ]

No, you don't need a stir plate. They're nice to have as it allows you put your starter on auto-pilot until it's done, but you can make a perfectly good starter without one.

2L flask is fine. That's what most use. I like a 3L myself, but I've made many a starter in a 2L before I added the 3L to my toolbox.

A starter should be done for most brews. Even if you don't need the cell count, you will know if your yeast is viable when you make a starter. You need two things to make beer: fermentable wort and viable yeast. With extract brewing, you are pretty much assured that you will have fermentable wort. When you make a starter, you will know whether you have viable yeast. Knowing you have both will give you the confidence that when you pitch your yeast, it will ferment and you won't be posting on here that it's been 4 hours and your beer is not fermenting and wondering if it's ruined. This is one of the reasons I've never used dry yeast. All I've ever used is liquid yeast and made a starter every time, except when I've direct-pitched slurry from the bottom of the fermenter, as I already knew it was viable and the cell count was good. This is not to say that dry yeast should be avoided, as it is usually pretty reliable, however there is some uncertainty involved until you see signs that fermentation is starting.

Will liquid yeast produce better beer than dry? No. It's just that there are a lot more strain options when you go with liquid. Of course, liquid costs more, so there's that, but if you make starters and harvest some of the cells from that to save for another starter weeks or months later, the cost becomes negligible. I've been brewing for over 3 years now, just over 75 batches so far and I've probably only purchased about 12 vials of yeast over that entire period.

 

[enkamania]

You don't need a stir plate, but I just got one and it is nice. Use this yeast calculator http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html to figure out how big of a starter you need

 

[eadavis80]

I don't have a stir plate and it's my understanding they really just buy time. IF you make your starter ahead of time and give it a few more days of just swirling when you see it, it should make pretty close to the amount of cells a stir plate starter would make in a day. I'm sure there are calculators out there that will tell you official cell counts with and without stir plates and I might get one eventually, but for now, I would rather save $50 and just make my starter three days earlier and swirl for free. As long as you pitch a proper amount of healthy yeast, the wort isn't going to care if that yeast was made from swirling or a stir plate.

 

[mdindy]

stir plate is for convenience, that being said it is good practice. even if it is not a high gravity brew the idea is by increasing cell count the yeast will be less "stressed" and give you a better cleaner flavor, plus it is very important if your yeast is close to the best by date.

 

[GreenGoatee]

I made my first starter with my most recent brew, couldn't believe how easy it was. I picked up a 1 gallon carboy at a local wine shop for about $5 and swirled it frequently. I will probably purchase a stir plate eventually, but for now I will continue the swirl method as there are other items on my brewing wish list.

 

[Gavin C]

The data is solid. A stirred starter will induce greater growth rates in a starter than one that is not stirred. Multiple data sources will support this. Stirring on a plate simply makes it a better more efficient process than having to stir it every so often yourself. The idea is to constantly aerate the starter beer.

You don't need one for every batch. Dry yeasts do not require one, better to rehydrate and/or buy a second pack if it's a big beer. There is no cost benefit to a dry yeast starter either.

When using liquid yeasts I have always used a stirred starter with a stir plate. If I'm going to the trouble to invest in a starter I see no reason not to make a stir plate for $20 or less. Easy, cheap and fun DIY project.

www.hombrewdad.com has a great tool for calculating starters.

I have a 1,2,and 5L flask. The 1L never gets used. A starter that small is rather pointless.

The 2L is fine but for lagers, hybrids and if you want to harvest yeast from the starter a 5L is the right tool to have.

Today's article should cover most questions you may have regarding making a starter. (Shameless plug )

3 bits of advice

1: Use a pitch rate calculator for every brew with liquid yeast and make a starter as needed.
2: Make a cheap and effective stir-plate
3: Buy a 5L flask and forget 1 and 2L (it will work for most types of batches up to 10-15 gallons in size, and pretty much anything 5 gallon)