[Stand]

Shear-force seems like a good theory, but is there any evidence to support the impact of this?  This really needs some experimentation, but my guess is that it wouldn't make much difference at all.

Yeast seems like a hearty little organism, so I'm sure all of these methods make great beer.  My issue is that I grow up yeast stocks from frozen 50ML vials, so growth is a real concern for me.  I've never had any problems at all with my methods which are based on the growth charts here: http://www.brewunited.com/yeast_calculator.php

Cheers!

[Wilbur]

Personally, I keep forgetting to swirl, and eventually it foams up when I do. I don't see why a stir plate is incompatible to the SNS method. Isn't it really more about pitching yeast while active?

I start a few hours before I brew and start it on the stir plate. When it's time to pitch, I pitch 1/2-3/4 of my starter and let the rest finish out. The extra hours into a jar or two until the next brew day.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[majorvices]

Late to the party here: I sometimes use a stir plate, sometimes don't. For lagers I always do (or use slurry). What I do use is half gallon/2L mason jars with these fermentation lids



I don't tighten them down all the way until the starter is finished. They work great! And the jars way easier to clean and way cheaper than flasks.

[purduekenn]

No more traditional yeast starters for me! Now using SNS vitality starters.

[TXFlyGuy]

I haven't used a stir plate in over 5 years.  I don't even know where mine is any more.  I've discovered it's unnecessary for me to use one.  And ya know what....it's made absolutely no difference in the quality of my beer.

Never used one, never needed one, never will use one.
For a starter, a one gallon jug containing harvested yeast, mixed with some fresh sterile wort, and agitated to wake up the dormant cells, is all we ever used.

Shaken, not stirred.