Hi All
Still relatively new to this all-grain business. Just buying ingredients for my next batch and am looking at using live yeast (such as White Labs or Wyeast). Do I need to make a starter with White Labs or can I just pitch it straight in (for 23L) once I've reached the right temp to ferment?
I noticed with the Wyeast there seems to be same activation process in the packet - what's going on here?
I just want to minimise the risk of c*cking up so keen to keep things simple at the moment by trying to introduce too many new processes!
Cheers
Si
White Labs Yeast - do I need to make a starter?
White Labs Yeast - do I need to make a starter?
Researching ... by drinking ...
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Wolfy
Re: White Labs Yeast - do I need to make a starter?
No, yes ... well maybe.
Many brewers pitch packs/vials directly and have very good results - for your first time using liquid yeast there is no reason you can't do that.
However, depending on your OG and volume and age of the yeast, you could get your yeast cell count closer to the 'industry standard pitching rate' by making a starter (but depending on your starter volume/content etc you could also actually do more harm than good also). You can check the pitching rate calculator here with the details of your brew to see what it suggests: http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html
The other thing a starter can help with is to improve the health of the yeast before pitching, which is useful if the pack is a little bit older.
Wyeast 'smack packs' packs have an inner pouch of yeast food that you need to 'smack' or break a day or few before you pitch the yeast, this will allow the pack to swell as the yeast consume the nutrients and get in top condition to start fermenting your beer - details and instructions are on the Wyeast website.
Many brewers pitch packs/vials directly and have very good results - for your first time using liquid yeast there is no reason you can't do that.
However, depending on your OG and volume and age of the yeast, you could get your yeast cell count closer to the 'industry standard pitching rate' by making a starter (but depending on your starter volume/content etc you could also actually do more harm than good also). You can check the pitching rate calculator here with the details of your brew to see what it suggests: http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html
The other thing a starter can help with is to improve the health of the yeast before pitching, which is useful if the pack is a little bit older.
Wyeast 'smack packs' packs have an inner pouch of yeast food that you need to 'smack' or break a day or few before you pitch the yeast, this will allow the pack to swell as the yeast consume the nutrients and get in top condition to start fermenting your beer - details and instructions are on the Wyeast website.
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Rookie
- Falling off the Barstool
- Posts: 3672
- Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:30 pm
- Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Re: White Labs Yeast - do I need to make a starter?
I don't bother with a starter if the O.G. is below 1.040 and the yeast is less than two weeks old. (I usually brew three gallon batches) For larger batches I always do a starter.
I'm just here for the beer.
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steve_flack
Re: White Labs Yeast - do I need to make a starter?
You're lucky here if it's less than two months old. Wyeasts especially.Rookie wrote: the yeast is less than two weeks old.
Some shops show the the manufacturing date so you will know how fresh your yeast will be. Rob at the malt miller supplies white labs like this and brewuk do the same for wyeast. The latter also sell the bigger wyeast packages which have a lot more yeast in them.