Starters - a Love Story

[Amarillo4BRKFST]

It is all to common to see recipes posted of ~1.060 - 1.070 OG with no mention of starters or double pitching. However - BeerSmith insists that all of my ~1.060 OG beers REQUIRE ~200 billion + cells. I have read about recipes hitting ~6% abv with great attenuation and no starters / dbl pitch?

What gives? Why are MrMalty and BeerSmith in cahutes (cahoots?) with the yeast companies!?


Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Also if there is a thread that covers this question adequately and I missed it in my search, I apologize.

 

[Pratzie]

There are always two different groups of people here. Some that make starters and some that don't. You'll also catch people arguing about the benefits of O2 aeration as opposed to just vigorous shaking but thats another story as well. I've heard both sides say they make great beer but personally ive noticed my beer get better since using starters (not nearly as many off flavors, faster and vigorous ferments).

Your gonna hear arguments from both sides on but i think it comes down to ur personal preference. Ive heard enough about people getting dead packs of yeast and have slow to non existent fermentation with that so i prefer to just make a starter and add that whole process into each batch i brew unless im using a dry yeast strain. Plus i like having gadgets and a stir plate and flask whirling away with the stir bar klinking makes me happy.

 

[JonM]

Are you asking why Beersmith and Mr. Malty recommend a particular amount of yeast?

Short answer, it's because that's what works. Read about Brad and Jamil. Those guys have some pretty good resumes and track records as brewers. They know what they're talking about and their software is solid.

 

[Yooper]

Are you asking why Beersmith and Mr. Malty recommend a particular amount of yeast?

Short answer, it's because that's what works. Read about Brad and Jamil. Those guys have some pretty good resumes and track records as brewers. They know what they're talking about and their software is solid.

And I think that when we post recipes, it's just a "given" that the proper amount of yeast at the proper temperature will be pitched. There is no need to tell someone to pitch 0.75 million cells of viable yeast (double that for a lager), for every milliliter of wort, for every degree plato.

It's just assumed that the brewer will do this.

You can make beer with no starter, of course, and you can make beer with 1/4 package of yeast as well. It's not good practice, but it will make beer. It may not have the optimum flavor, but it will make beer.

Some info from Jamil Z: http://www.mrmalty.com/starter_faq.php

 

[Amarillo4BRKFST]

Thank you all for the posts - I had always assumed that those calculators' results were like, 'the bible' and if you used 199.98 billion cells instead of 200 billion your beer was going to be A) finished at above your desired terminal gravity and B) terrible and be riddled with diacetyl (my favorite off flavor to pick on). I have recently been getting more and more anal about making beer w/ no defects so perhaps my own paranoia is at fault for the 'hard line' I was taking on cell count.

Thanks again people, back to listening to Brew Strong and waiting for my beer to carb up.