[livefreebrewfree]

I've never brewed a beer with such a low OG but I've also never used a starter before. I'll be picking up the necessary equipment to make a starter with a gift card I received from work so I was kind of anxious to try it out but wasn't sure if there was any downside to making a starter when you are brewing such a low OG beer. This will also be my 2nd all grain beer.

For those of you that don't know the recipe, here it is from the AHA Beer Recipe Blog:

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/community/blog/show?title=beer-recipe-of-the-week-pliny-the-toddler

Pliny the Toddler - Session IPA
Recipe taken from Zymurgy Magazine November/December 2011 Edition
All Grain

Ingredients for 5.5 U.S. Gallons
3.5   lb. Maris Otter
3.5   lb. Domestic 2-row
1.0   lb. Cara-Pils Malt
0.5   lb. Table Sugar
0.75   oz. Warrior 15.5% a.a. (60 mins)
0.75  oz. Columbus 11.4% a.a. (10 mins)
0.75  oz. Centennial 8.5% a.a. (10 mins)
0.75   oz. Cascade 8.5% a.a. (0 mins)
5   g Gypsum for water profile adjustment
 
Yeast
1 starter/slurry
White Labs WLP 001 California Ale Yeast
 
Specifics
Original gravity   1.048
ABV   4.7%
Boiling time   90 min
IBU   56
SRM   37
 
Directions
Single Infusion Mash at 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes. 90 minute boil. Ferment at 65°F.

[chezteth]

Use mrmalty.com to find out if you need to use a starter, and how much.  It always works very well for me.  If you have a smartphone you can also download the yeast pitching rate calculator app.

Happy Brewing,
Brandon

[livefreebrewfree]

Just checked that out. Looks like for liquid yeast you need a starter for anything over 1.029. It's funny using that calculator and then reading the information on the yeast packs that say the smack pack or vial is pitchable and you will achieve basically the same results with or without a starter for anything under 1.070.

[chezteth]

Making a starter helps ensure a good, healthy pitch of yeast as well as the proper amount of yeast cells.  The best thing I did to improve my brewing processes was to make yeast starters.

[hopfenundmalz]

We brew 1.048 or less often.  You can get by with a very fresh yeast package (did I say very fresh?), but I make starters out of practice.  Going to do a 1.048 beer on Monday, but that is a lager with 4 Liters of starter!

[livefreebrewfree]

Sounds like I'm on the right track to improving my beers even more. I'll be picking up a 2L flask on Monday with my gift card from work. Now what do I do with the other $30 of the gift card. Hmmmm. I guess I could technically use it for ingredients, but I was going to buy them anyway. I already have the materials to make a copper immersion chiller, so that's out of the question. Suggestions?

[Hokerer]

Just checked that out. Looks like for liquid yeast you need a starter for anything over 1.029. It's funny using that calculator and then reading the information on the yeast packs that say the smack pack or vial is pitchable and you will achieve basically the same results with or without a starter for anything under 1.070.

That's called "marketing"   They don't want to tell you that you have to make a starter cuz they don't figure folks would do that.  On the other hand, they won't sell the proper amount of yeast because folks wouldn't pay the amount of money.

[chezteth]

Put the other $30 toward a stir plate,  another carboy ( I can never seem to have enough ), or a corny keg if you keg your beers.  Some 22oz bottles if you want to bottle in larger bottles, or an oxygenation setup to make it easier to get oxygen into your wort.