Are Yeast Starters A Must For Washed Yeast?

[BoomerBrian]

Hello,

I am going to start washing and reusing my yeast. Up until now I mainly use dry yeast and re-hydrate it before pitching. I only brew small 2 gallon batches.

When I reuse the yeast can I just let it come up to temperature and pitch or is it a must to make a starter? If I don't use a starter what negatives are there?

Thanks.

 

[Starter Hops]

I 'generally' find British strains don't need a huge starter. For example Conan and the like, they just seem to rip through whatever they are handed. Mason jar from the fridge, warmed to room temp and pitched.

Since I've dipped into my Christmas stash of homebrews today, I can't seem to wrap my mind around a 2 gallon starter pitch rate. I'm out-

 

[Thurston Brewer]

I always use a starter just because it's easy and gives you an edge over the bad bugs. Kinda fun, too...

If your yeast is fairly fresh and you're using a good amount you probably would be OK without a starter, though.

 

[GFHomebrew]

I use the yeast calculator on here to estimate if I need to make a starter depending on what I'm going to brew. I make a starter for every batch I do anyway as I pinch a bit out of flask for next brew. Under pitching will probably lead to long lag time and stressed yeast and poor attenuation if the numbers aren't there to Finnish the brew. Another is they may not be present to clean up any off flavours once fermentation is complete.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

you can also use more dry yeast if you don't want to make a starter, I go through periods where im lazy and just pitch 3 packs per 12 gallon batch

 

[Brew Cat]

If you have enough and it's not that old you can just pitch. If it's older I have enough I generally activate it but don't let it finish just pitch it at high kraussen

 

[Mark D Pirate]

Washing yeast does work , could get away with using about 30% of your cake and just pitching that .

 

[GFHomebrew]

Also pitching directly on top of yeast cake could work depending on beer type of course not that I've done this either.

Was reading a bit on under pitching one thing was increased Esters at beginning of fermentation. Yeast will bud on average four times in fermentation phase. Increased risk of baddies colonising brew from low yeast count. Some Belgian beers can benefit form esters produced from under pitching. Thanks for posting thread boomer Brian it's good to do some homework on the little legends making our wort beer.

 

[BoomerBrian]

Thanks for the answers everyone. It helped a lot.

 

[Nosybear]

you can also use more dry yeast if you don't want to make a starter, I go through periods where im lazy and just pitch 3 packs per 12 gallon batch

Agreed. At $2.50 per pack, yeast wrangling isn't worth the time to me.

 

[Mark D Pirate]

No chance of getting yeast that cheap here , my liquid strains are $13.50 so well worth making sure I get multiple uses from it

 

[GFHomebrew]

And for us Queenslanders add $11 freight on top and ice bricks for transport it can cost me $25 for some liquid yeast so yea it takes a few pitches to break even

 

[Mark D Pirate]

i always try to buy enough for a few batches at a time , as long as i'm under 25 kg it's just $6.50 delivery .

no brew day today ....had a very lazy day so will wait until my hop order comes in and try for a double brew day next weekend

 

[GFHomebrew]

Now ya talking Mark double brew day gee your game mate that in my book is an all dayer even if you cube second brew!

My brew day S are done that till after chrissy

By tomorrow I should have 50lt in kegs that'll last me through Christmas

 

[Brew Cat]

If you have enough and it's not that old you can just pitch. If it's older I have enough I generally activate it but don't let it finish just pitch it at high kraussen

And for us Queenslanders add $11 freight on top and ice bricks for transport it can cost me $25 for some liquid yeast so yea it takes a few pitches to break even

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