Yeast Starter - yes or no?

[IPA_33]

Here's my situation, I plan on brewing Saturday and forgot to make a starter ahead of time. I know, shame on me. Have any of you all grain brewers ever used the smack packs without creating a starter? If so what were the results? Thanks.

 

[Yunus]

I've never used a starter and never had a problem with smack packs, dry yeast or liquid. For ales that is.

 

[IPA_33]

Awesome, if this turns out bad now I have a scapegoat!

Thanks, I'm going to give it a shot no starter.

 

[Edcculus]

You still have time to make a starter.

I usually brew on Sundays. Sometimes I can't make it to LHBS until Friday. I smack the pack when I get in the car. Get home 20 minutes later and boil up a starter. No matter how much time you give it, making a starter will always increase your cell count from the original smack pack. That is unless you completely screw up the starter. If you have the ability, just do it. I see a starter as taking free insurance out that 1) my yeast is viable, 2)my fermentation will start with minimal lag time, 3)Higher cell count= less stressed yeast = lower ester production.

 

[sammo]

yep no probs, you might get a long lag time though

 

[IPA_33]

The soonest I could do it would be tomorrow after work. I play in a band and we have a happy hour show today so no time to get it done. That would only leave approx. 24 hrs, probably a little less. Is it still worth it?

 

[Beerrific]

The soonest I could do it would be tomorrow after work. I play in a band and we have a happy hour show today so no time to get it done. That would only leave approx. 24 hrs, probably a little less. Is it still worth it?

Yes. The bulk of the yeast growth is done in 12-18 hours. I always do mine the day before, and if you can tend to it and give it a nice swirl every now and then, that is even better.

 

[Edcculus]

hmm, that might be pushing it a little. I'll let some others chime in on that.

 

[IPA_33]

Edcculus, how much time do you usually give your starter?

 

[Edcculus]

If I start it on Friday and brew Sunday I guess around 48 hours. Now that I think about it, I've started one on Saturday afternoon and brewed Sunday afternoon. that would have given it about 24 hours or less.

Ultimately, this gets into the debate on when to pitch a starter. When the yeast has flocculated, or at high krausen. Even if you give it 12 hours, you will still have given the yeast at least some chance to multiply.

 

[IPA_33]

Thanks everyone.

 

[Edcculus]

Glad I could turn a simple yes/no into such a complicated situation!

RDWHAHB!!

 

[IPA_33]

haha it's all good. I was just wondering if anyone had any success without using a starter

 

[bob1852]

haha it's all good. I was just wondering if anyone had any success without using a starter

I used Ringwood 1187 without a starter - but I was panicked because the pack didn't swell as much as I liked. So, I sprinkled some Safale-04 in with it. Holy crap batman - needed a blow-off in less than 18 hours.

 

[TexLaw]

Twenty-four hours is fine for a starter. Just be prepared to pitch much (if not all) of your starter liquor with the yeast. In other words, don't use darm DME to use as starter for that blonde ale you were going to brew, and that sort of thing.


TL

 

[WBC]

Any time you are using a liquid yeast you are taking a small chance that it will have a slow start but most of the time it is OK. I prefer to use a starter for liquid yeasts because I want a very good chance it will start quickly so I will have an extremely good beer. In the end we choose how much effort we want to endure and the quality of the brew.

 

[TeleTwanger]

24hrs should be enough time, you'll be pitching at high krauesen which is good. Next time get some dry yeast for just-in-case scenarios like this and pitch 2 11.5G packs which would be equivilent to using a 2 qt starter from an activator smack pack.

To answer the original question: Yes I've made numerous beers without a starter with no problems except the occasional long lag times (up to 36 hours!)

 

[Throckmorton]

I have a follow up question. I am planning on using starters in the future. I am currently an extract brewer making standard 5 gallon batches. I just bought a stir bar and a 1000 ml flask... planning on building a stir plate. I have been reading about starters and I am confused about whether:
a) to pitch only the slurry
b) pitch the entire starter, wort and slurry

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[TeleTwanger]

I try and pitch only the yeast. It depends on how big though but I do 2qt starters so that's a half gallon into 5 gallons which is what 10% of the total volume? I let the starter ferment out (+48hrs) and then cool it for a few hours, decant most of the beer and swirl around what's left and pitch it. A good starter will have an inch or more of yeast cake on the bottom, that's what you want!

 

[culaslucas]

So to clarify - dry yeasts don't need a starter correct? They can be either rehydrated or pitched directly into cooled wort??

 

[Tonedef131]

So to clarify - dry yeasts don't need a starter correct? They can be either rehydrated or pitched directly into cooled wort??

Correct.

I subscribe to the thought that if you are not doing a starter, you should be using dry yeast, unless you are making like a 1.030 ale or something.

 

[bob1852]

So to clarify - dry yeasts don't need a starter correct? They can be either rehydrated or pitched directly into cooled wort??

yes - whatever the instructions on the packet says. Do not use a starter with dry yeast. It's like trying to convert LME to your own DME. There's just no point.