MSU Red Cedar Message Board

The benefit of dry yeast is that you don't need a starter. If you are making an American Ale, then I'd use the dry yeast (Safale 56, I think) in lieu of WY 1056 or White Labs 001. Similar yeast and you don't need to make the starter. I'd do the same for any Hefeweizen. For any Belgian or British Ale, I use the liquid yeast and DO make a starter. Yeast pitching rate and fermentation temperature are the two most critical variables in making a good beer, in my opinion.

So short answer is yes, with liquid yeast, I make a starter.

have a cider, Robust Porter, and Harvest Ale on tap

went to sicilianos last week and picked up supplies to make a brown...then my IPA next

just need the keg space

is this a clone you developed? or is it one from byo or zymurgy?

I am the only one that keeps reading that as "The Hebrew Crew"?

Oy vey.

I generally use the White Labs liquid yeast. Generally I don't make a starter, but I don't brew big beers that often. I used dry yeast for a cider I made, and just for the heck of it, the last porter I did. Haven't tasted the porter yet since I just bottled it last weekend.

Main reasons:

1 - active starter begins fermentation more quickly - less chance of contamination
2 - the more yeast you pitch, the less generations they need to complete fermentation. The more generations they go through, the more mutation happens which can lead to off flavors
3 - leads to a faster fermentation
4 - if you don't have enough yeast, there is a chance they will not be able to complete fermentation
5 - the yeast can get stressed and create off flavors

So basically, it reduces off flavors and helps ensure a complete fermentation.

i switched from white labs to safale a couple years ago...real happy with the product

I've been brewing for 3 years and have never had any of those issues. How can it be contaminated more easily then using a starter? It's in a sealed pouch until it touches the beer. With propagator you have to add it to a starter that has more of a chance to be contaminated then from the starter produced by the yeast company in the activator pouch.

The best kits I've found are from Listermann
http://www.listermann.com/Store/products.asp?id=35

They used to be a lot cheaper, but I've always had good results. Also, the recipes for their kits are posted under "product documents" so you can just clone them if you want...

I use dry yeast, don't do a starter, and have never had a fermentation problem...

Great, now I'm paranoid that the batch I'm about to bottle this weekend is somehow ruined because I used Wyeast without a starter.

It's been sitting in secondary for several weeks, doing absolutely nothing.

Yes, 5 gallons. No starter. I just smacked the Wyeast pack and it ballooned up for a few hours before I pitched.

I had it in primary for about 10 days, then racked it to secondary, maybe 3-4 weeks ago? I am going to bottle it this weekend.
The airlock was going pretty good for the first 5-6 days in primary, then it tapered off. I checked the gravity when I racked to secondary and it was within the range on the recipe kit.

This was my first time using Wyeast. The instructions said I didn't need a starter, but now I'm wondering if I should try one for my next batch.

A related question. I know I can store Wyeast in my fridge, but lets say my fridge broke and is up to 50 degrees for 12 hours or so before I can get it repaired. Is the yeast going to be damaged by this, or can I still use it?

I'm with Winger - no secondary (unless aging, lagering, or dry hopping) and keep it at least 3 weeks on the primary yeast.

Here is an article about why and when to make yeast starters.