[bierview]

I have always made a starter with White Labs stepping it up at least twice.  I have a small brew window and need to brew this Sunday. What are your thoughts on a direct pitch from the package into a wort with a gravity of 1.045 - 1.050?  If that's not advisable i would have time to put it on a stir plate for about 20 hours and pitching even if it is at high krausen. Thoughts?

[brewinhard]

How old is the yeast?  Is it a pure pitchable pouch? What strain?

[bierview]

New pitchable pack. Don't have it with me so I can't tell you the dates but just purchased. WLP011.

[brewinhard]

If it is relatively fresh, I think you would be fine just pitching the whole packet. If it is towards the older end of the spectrum you could have two options to choose from -

1. A vitality starter - just spin it on the stir plate in a quart of wort for 4-6 hrs then pitch the whole thing.

2. Do a SNS (shaken-not-stirred) starter and pitch the whole thing at high krausen. But you need a proper shaped vessel for that to pull it off properly.

----if it were me and the packet was reasonably fresh, I would just pitch the packet (especially if the beer in question was not for a competition or I was not planning on reusing the yeast).

[bierview]

Ok I hear you and that would be the easiest option. But why not 20 hours on a stir plate in a flask?

[brewinhard]

Ok I hear you and that would be the easiest option. But why not 20 hours on a stir plate in a flask?

I think on a stir plate (depending on yeast freshness and starter volume) you would see high krausen well before 20 hrs. You most definitely would not need more than a 1 qt starter either for such a small OG>

[bierview]

So you agee to do the 20 hour starter?

[bboy9000]

I think you could do a SNS starter late the night before or even the morning of while heating strike water.

[JJeffers09]

You should be okay if it is 1.045-50.  But a 2L starter isn't terrible either?

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[GS]

I would direct pitch without a starter. There is enough viable yeast in the pack for your starting gravity. You also eliminate one possible route of contamination.



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[bierview]

I think I am going to direct pitch.  The years was manufactured October 12, 2016.

[bierview]

oops .......... the yeast, not years........

[brewinhard]

I think I am going to direct pitch.  The years was manufactured October 12, 2016.

Damn, that is super fresh. You will be more than fine with that!

[bierview]

Whoops......Didn't account for the honey addition  OG: 1.058.  Direct pitch.........hope the freshness makes up the difference.

[ynotbrusum]

Pitch the honey at high krausen.  There are some studies showing that simple sugars should be added then for best results.