Yeast starter for wheat beer?

[LosEsco25]

First of, been lurking for about 2 weeks and I've learned more from you guys in that 2 weeks than in 4 years of college , you guys rock

Thinking of popping my home brewing cherry with a wheat beer

Do you use a starter for a wheat beer. If so do you use dme or something else. That's for any input!

 

[bleme]

Were you thinking of an American Wheat or a Bavarian Wheat? Also, what ABV range are you looking for?

 

[emccarthy25]

The necessity of a starter is determined by a couple of things, one of which is the starting gravity of the wort. Also a factor is the amount you are brewing. Typically, for a 5 gallon batch, if you are staying within the style I would say you would bee safe with no starter if you use dry yeast.

If you do make a starter, I believe most people use dme boiled into some water.

 

[LosEsco25]

Were you thinking of an American Wheat or a Bavarian Wheat? Also, what ABV range are you looking for?

American wheat , recipe says about 5.4 abv. Og 1.052 , fg 1.010

 

[bleme]

If you use a dry yeast like US-05 you will be fine. I have a batch 6 days in the fermentor right now!

 

[LosEsco25]

If you use a dry yeast like US-05 you will be fine. I have a batch 6 days in the fermentor right now!

Should I re hydrate them, or just pitch them in?

 

[uncommonsense]

Should I re hydrate them, or just pitch them in?

I always rehydrate. Some say if you don't. The yeast will absorb bad stuff in wort and kill some of them. But rehydrating is easy. It seems like you get less lag time.

 

[Hulud]

First of, been lurking for about 2 weeks and I've learned more from you guys in that 2 weeks than in 4 years of college , you guys rock

i think that has to do with the subject matter...

(i am the same way)


Beer is more insteresting than american literature 1800-1850

 

[emccarthy25]

I always rehydrate. Some say if you don't. The yeast will absorb bad stuff in wort and kill some of them. But rehydrating is easy. It seems like you get less lag time.

No offense, but that sounds like an old wives tale. Regardless of whether you rehydrate or not, they yeast will be in the very same solution(the wort) and will be eating their little hearts out, and so will still be getting the 'bad stuff' in the wort. At worst, you MIGHT lose a few of them do to stress, but not enough that I personally would worry about it

 

[bleme]

The way it was explained to me, in their dry state their cell membranes are more permeable. By hydrating them first, their own cell membranes then become able to protect them from the wort.

 

[user 4295]

I've been told by brewers with A LOT more experience than I (we're talking men who have owned their own pubs for decades) that you will lose ~50% of the total cell count in a packet of dry yeast if you pitch it directly into the wort without re-hydrating it in warm water first. As stated above, it has to do with cell membranes, and such. To me, that's not a bunch of old wives telling tails.

 

[spenghali]

Just made a starter for a bavarian hef two days ago with wlp300. Woke up this morning and it had spewed all down the sides of my 1 gallon growler. Never thought I would need a blowoff for a yeast starter!

 

[emccarthy25]

I've been told by brewers with A LOT more experience than I (we're talking men who have owned their own pubs for decades) that you will lose ~50% of the total cell count in a packet of dry yeast if you pitch it directly into the wort without re-hydrating it in warm water first. As stated above, it has to do with cell membranes, and such. To me, that's not a bunch of old wives telling tails.

I stand corrected then. I'll start rehydrating my yeast before I pitch into my next brew. Cheers!

 

[user 4295]

I stand corrected then. I'll start rehydrating my yeast before I pitch into my next brew. Cheers!

I hope I didn't come across as a dink. I didn't mean to. For the record, when I first started brewing I would pitch dry yeast packets directly into my wort and I ended up with what I thought to be very good beer each time. As I progressed I made the switch to liquid yeasts and starters. That's when my beers really started to improve!

 

[emccarthy25]

I hope I didn't come across as a dink. I didn't mean to. For the record, when I first started brewing I would pitch dry yeast packets directly into my wort and I ended up with what I thought to be very good beer each time. As I progressed I made the switch to liquid yeasts and starters. That's when my beers really started to improve!

No, not at all. I don't mind being corrected, especially if it leads to better beer