yeast and yeast starter questions

[Nberry]

I have questions about how and when to use a yeast starter and nutrients. I have a IPA that I want to do but have yeast questions about it that I would like to get some assistance with.

1. I have two bags of yeast for the brew, will this require a starter?
2. If a starter is required or recommended do I use one can of starter or two since I have two bags of yeast?
3. How long do I put it on the stir plate for?
4. How many hours in advance do I need to make the starter prior to using it?
5. What temperature should the starter be at or near when I use it?
6. How do I know if I need yeast nutirents?
7. If I do need nutrients what type do I use?
8. What it the best time to add the nutrients if needed?

Yeast I am using is Omega OTL-004 West Coast Ale yeast and I have two bags of it. I know I need to take it out several hours before use and let it warm up prior to using it.

 

[GFHomebrew]

I have questions about how and when to use a yeast starter and nutrients. I have a IPA that I want to do but have yeast questions about it that I would like to get some assistance with.

1. I have two bags of yeast for the brew, will this require a starter?
2. If a starter is required or recommended do I use one can of starter or two since I have two bags of yeast?
3. How long do I put it on the stir plate for?
4. How many hours in advance do I need to make the starter prior to using it?
5. What temperature should the starter be at or near when I use it?
6. How do I know if I need yeast nutirents?
7. If I do need nutrients what type do I use?
8. What it the best time to add the nutrients if needed?

Yeast I am using is Omega OTL-004 West Coast Ale yeast and I have two bags of it. I know I need to take it out several hours before use and let it warm up prior to using it.

It all depends on the gravity of the beer the yeast are going to ferment and the volume.
There is a yeast pitch calculator built into the site in tools you can punch in your beers OG and FG and the yeast amount and type of pitch required usually ale or Lager pitch.

You shouldn't need nutrient if it's fresh yeast from the lab I use nutrient in the boil on brew day if I'm using yeast that's a few gens old pluss I don't go crazy on oxygenation so I find fermentation gets off to a good start when adding nutrient but really you can get away without it I feel.

Starters are run at ambient room temp and depending of you want to pitch the whole starter or decant will tell you when to make one.
I take wort on brew day to pitch whole into my beer 24hrs after this is more a vitality starter a bit of both yes I get cell generation but it's also still fermenting so I get the quick fermentation start usually within hours of pitching.

But if you want to decant and pitch just the yeast I'd say make starter 48hrs prior to brewing 24 or 36 to ferment the starter then 12hrs to chill (crash) it down in the fridge then pour off liquid and pitch yeast on brew day.

That yeast calculator in the tools section on here will tell you what size starter you need.

 

[Semper Sitientum]

I use dry yeast exclusively, so I have no input on 1-6. However, regarding yeast nutrient, you’ll never know if you need it. Consider it insurance. You probably don’t need it and it won’t hurt, but it may help. Reading the marketing material, it seems logical that it would have an impact. But, I’ve never seen anything other than anecdotal evidence on whether it helps or not. Because of that, I use bakers yeast and add it to the last 15 minutes of the boil. It’s much cheaper than products sold as nutrients and it provides some of the same nutrient components.

 

[Donoroto]

How big is your batch?

 

[Craigerrr]

Like @Semper Sitientem , I only use dry yeast.
I did start getting into liquid yeast, but for me, it just added a lot more steps, a lot more time, a lot more things to clean sanitize and store.
Not to mention... questions like you have.
For me, the only real advantage of using liquid yeast is that there are more varieties available.

To your questions however, and this may or may not answer them...
Some factors to consider
Size of batch
Date of production of the yeast (cell viability drops off with liquid yeast)
Original number of cells in package (different manufacturers market different cell quantities)
Original Gravity

I use yeast nutrient late in the boil, but recall adding it to the starter when pitching..
Is it necessary, probably not with dry yeast anyway.

 

[Minbari]

Hopefully this will answer your questions.

When I do a starter i just use a can of "canned wort" add enough water to get it to 1.040 gravity and then add a pinch of yeast nutrient. Put the 2L erlinmeyer flask on the stir plate at room temp for 48 hours. Then for crash in the fridge for 12 hours and decant the liquid and only pitch the yeast.

Has always worked

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Note that everything below is just my 2¢.

For a five gallon batch of moderate gravity wort (below 1.060) and fresh yeast (3 months or less), you would only need a single pack of yeast. Especially since Omega yeast starts with 150 Billion cells in a packet. Plug your numbers into the yeast pitch calculator to see if you're in the ballpark. There is no way to know if you are dead on accurate anyway. The main problem any yeast pitch calculator is that you have to start by guessing how many active yeast cells are in the packet. Because once it leaves the yeast manufacturer's site, you don't know how long it was in transit or the environmental conditions it was subjected to. And once it gets to the place you bought it from, you don't know how they treated is.

I usually leave my starters on the stir plate for 18-24 hours at a relatively low speed. Just enough to keep the yeast in suspension.

For a 1-2 L starter I usually pitch the whole thing as soon as I think it's done. For a 4L starter I'll cold crash overnight and decant off the supernatant liquid.

When pitching yeast, it should be approximately the same temperature of the wort you are pitching it into. I think within 15°F (10°C) is fine.

I always add yeast nutrients at the end of the boil. Don't know if I need to. It's cheap insurance in case I do.