is a yeast starter worth it if it only has 3 hours to incubate?

[abSchenk]

Hi All, I need some advice. Today is looking like a great day to brew, but I didn't think ahead, all I have is a WyEast smack pack going. Should I still do a yeast starter even though it'd only get to sit for say 3 hours or just pitch the smack pack? (I live at 8850 feet so it's pretty imperative for me to give my beasties a head start & I will aerate my wort with an aeration stone). Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

 

[abSchenk]

PS - I'm brewing a pale ale with Thames Valley Wyeast (& sorry for starting a new thread, didn't really mean to do that!)

 

[Denny]

No, 3 hours isn't enough time to get appreciable cell growth. I'd advise you to wait to brew. You wouldn't brew if you didn't have hops or malt, would you? Then why brew if you don't have yeast? The only exception would be if the OG was under 1.040.

 

[AT-JeffT]

brew and pitch when the starter is ready. A few hours of the wort sitting in the fermenter won't hurt.

 

[stpug]

Just at AT-JeffT said. Get your starter going now. Brew your beer, chill it, and put into fermenter. Pitch your starter tonight right before bed. I just had to do similar for different reasons a few days ago. My tap water is too warm this time of year to get to proper pitching temps so it went into a bucket with ice for a few hours prior to pitching. Neither the wort nor the yeast noticed a thing

 

[abSchenk]

Thanks guys! Will do!