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Author Topic: Realistically, how important is a starter? (dealing with WLP001)  (Read 11870 times)

Offline majorvices

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Re: Realistically, how important is a starter? (dealing with WLP001)
« Reply #15 on: August 10, 2011, 01:13:11 pm »
Look at it this way. You do not have enough of one of the ingredients you need to make the beer you're planning. If I only had half as much base grain as I needed to brew, I'd either wait or more likely do a half batch. Certainly not brew something inferior. Same thing with yeast. I'd rather have less good beer than lots of sub par beer.

+1

Offline Al Equihua

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Re: Realistically, how important is a starter? (dealing with WLP001)
« Reply #16 on: August 18, 2011, 05:30:46 pm »
thanks to this thread i finally purchase a flask and DME for making a starter for my next batch. Im shure it will make it better.
Two batches ago i made a Pale Ale and use US5 and went slowly, im going the same recipe but with starter

cheers
Al Equihua

Offline majorvices

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Re: Realistically, how important is a starter? (dealing with WLP001)
« Reply #17 on: August 19, 2011, 06:58:16 am »
thanks to this thread i finally purchase a flask and DME for making a starter for my next batch. Im shure it will make it better.
Two batches ago i made a Pale Ale and use US5 and went slowly, im going the same recipe but with starter

cheers

Make sure you understand that you make a starter with liquid yeast only, not with dry yeast. When the dry yeast is processed the manufacturers strengthen the cell walls before undergoing the drying process. This is preserved in tact after the drying process. Because a single pack of dry yeast has many more viable cells than a pack or vial of liquid yeast you most likely would pitch the dry yeast into a starter size that was much too small, causing the yeast to deplete the nutrients in their cell walls leaving you with a yeast pitch that is actually weaker than had you simply pitched the yeast dry or rehydrated iwth warm water.

Liquid yeast has the opposite problem. The glycogen/sterols in the cell walls are in tact when they yeast is packaged but they immediately start using those reserves while they sit and become dormant. So making an appropriate size starter (preferably with aeration and nutrients) will allow the yeast in the starter to build those reserves back up.

Check the pitching calc at www.mrmalty.com to get an idea how many packs of dry yeast you need for every batch, or how big a starter you need for liquid yeast.

Offline Al Equihua

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Re: Realistically, how important is a starter? (dealing with WLP001)
« Reply #18 on: August 19, 2011, 10:57:11 am »
thanks to this thread i finally purchase a flask and DME for making a starter for my next batch. Im shure it will make it better.
Two batches ago i made a Pale Ale and use US5 and went slowly, im going the same recipe but with starter

cheers

Make sure you understand that you make a starter with liquid yeast only, not with dry yeast. When the dry yeast is processed the manufacturers strengthen the cell walls before undergoing the drying process. This is preserved in tact after the drying process. Because a single pack of dry yeast has many more viable cells than a pack or vial of liquid yeast you most likely would pitch the dry yeast into a starter size that was much too small, causing the yeast to deplete the nutrients in their cell walls leaving you with a yeast pitch that is actually weaker than had you simply pitched the yeast dry or rehydrated iwth warm water.

Liquid yeast has the opposite problem. The glycogen/sterols in the cell walls are in tact when they yeast is packaged but they immediately start using those reserves while they sit and become dormant. So making an appropriate size starter (preferably with aeration and nutrients) will allow the yeast in the starter to build those reserves back up.

Check the pitching calc at www.mrmalty.com to get an idea how many packs of dry yeast you need for every batch, or how big a starter you need for liquid yeast.
wow, this is definitely something new for me. even though I am a rookie but I like to learn every day to improve the taste of my beer. obviously when my friends and relatives try to say it tastes beer! but hey I want to improve and learn from experience and that's why on Monday I get my first flask and a chiller (50 ft) to make it better and easier. previously used an ice bath. I live in an apartment and believe me it was a little stressful carrying my hot pot 6 to 7 gallons on the first floor

 I bought some packets of yeast for my next batch and frankly was not on my mind at the moment to use liquid or package yeast

 Do you think that if some yeast nutrient use could improve the population and so have a good result? Would i notice in flavor?
 thanks for your comment
« Last Edit: August 19, 2011, 11:25:11 am by Al Equihua »
Al Equihua