Starters For Liquid Yeasts?

[The King of Spain]

I will shortly be using liquid yeast (Wyeast) for the first time.

Whats the general consensus with making a starter - do you need one or do you just smack the pack, wait then pitch?

Cheers

KOS

 

[braufrau]

I will shortly be using liquid yeast (Wyeast) for the first time.

Whats the general consensus with making a starter - do you need one or do you just smack the pack, wait then pitch?

Cheers

KOS

My 2c ...
Depends on your OG (yes for high OG) and whether you buy an XL or a propagator pack (yes for propagator packs).

 

[Stuster]

For me, it's a depends question.

Depends on the batch size, depends on the gravity, depends on the kind of beer, depends on how fresh the pack is. And also depends on how lazy I feel.

 

[bigfridge]

I will shortly be using liquid yeast (Wyeast) for the first time.

Whats the general consensus with making a starter - do you need one or do you just smack the pack, wait then pitch?

Cheers

KOS

Hiya KOS,

Succinct answer is that it depends :icon_cheers:

Depends on volume, OG and style of brew; age and size of smack pack, yeast variety, fermentation temperature plus probably some other factors that I have forgotten to mention.

Some more details will help us give a more definate answer, or you can just read the instructions on the pack of the pack. :unsure:

 

[The King of Spain]

I'm brewing Andrews Bonsuns Bitter , one of my favorites. Linky. Its a pretty standard gain bill. 5kg of malt, which for my system gives me 23 litres with and OG of 1050

My yeast is Wyeast 1098 manufactured 4 aug 08.

Does that narrow it down somwhat?

Cheers
KOS

 

[braufrau]

I'm brewing Andrews Bonsuns Bitter , one of my favorites. Linky. Its a pretty standard gain bill. 5kg of malt, which for my system gives me 23 litres with and OG of 1050

My yeast is Wyeast 1098 manufactured 4 aug 08.

Does that narrow it down somwhat?

Cheers
KOS

If its XL, in theory you can just smack, swell and pitch. The packet gives guidelines too.

 

[Stuster]

Personally, with a nice fresh pack like that and for a bitter, I wouldn't worry about doing a starter. If you do one, a 1L one should be fine. Why not brew two batches and see how they come out.

 

[SJW]

I would make a starter and maybe hold back a little slurry for next time. Just airate 1 or 2 litres of a 1.040 wort, pitch the Wyeast into that. That should be heaps of yeast for most types of beers. As this is not a high OG beer this would be heaps of yeast.

Steve

 

[braufrau]

Mrmalty (linky) reckons you need 100 billion cells. And wyeast reckon there's 100 billion cells in their XL packs. Bizarre coincidence?? I think not!