Imperial Stout with no starter?

[imp81318]

I am thinking about brewing a last-minute imperial stout tomorrow. The problem is that this is going to be a high gravity beer, and I obviously don't have time to make a starter. What is the best way to handle this? I see myself having a few options:

1. Pitch 2 vials of liquid yeast.
2. Use dry yeast. Would I still need 2 packs? Starter?
3. Pitch a vial of liquid yeast, and make a starter with 2nd vial and pitch that when ready a few days later. Likely an overpitch, buy maybe better than just 2 vials?

 

[Yooper]

1. More like 4 packs, depending on the OG
2. Maybe 2, or 3, depending on the OG
3. No, there is no point to adding yeast later once the original pitch has reproduced.

I'd use a yeast calculator today (mrmalty.com has a good one) to get an idea of how much yeast you need for a healthy fermentation. http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

 

[stratslinger]

Also - Chris White has gone "on record" a few times to point out that a properly done starter chews through all available sugars and completes its propagation in roughly 24 hours. If you've got the ingredients handy to make one, there's no reason you can't pull off a starter today for a brew tomorrow and get most, if not all, of the benefits you'd have had if you made the starter yesterday instead.