Dried yeast - Starter or No Starter?

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BrewStew

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Recently i've not been bothering with yeast starters, for a couple of reasons:

1) I'm getting lazy

2) i've actually noticed the yeast (especially S04) actually gets started QUICKER if i just sprinkle and stir, instead of making a starter!

The batch i did yesterday had a yeast head and a CO2 smell just two hours after pitching! of all the brews that i made a starter for i wouldn't see any action until the following day.

Is anyone else noticing this?
 
I found exactly the same and I stopped bothering with starters for dried yeast too. ;)
 
I read somewhere that starters can be a bad idea with some dried yeasts - something about built-in reserves becoming depleted within the starter wort that are needed for the yeast to become established within the main wort..

I personally just rehydrate in a sanitised jar 30 minutes before pitching...
 
Exactly. Don't do starters for dried yeast - it's counter productive. It makes your yeast weaker and won't actually grow more yeast cells as your starter is almost certainly too small. Rehydration IS a good idea as just chucking your yeast into wort could kill quite a lot of them. Rehydration wakes them up gently.
 
I've never rehydrated a dry yeast, i just chuck it in and never had any problems. It's just another pointless step imo and until that comment bites me on the ass i'll continue to chuck it in :lol:
 
I rehydrate the dried yeast. If I add dried yeast it's always as I'm adding wort to the fv, as I worry that sprinkling it on the foam may leave the yeast partially rehydrated for some time.
 
I rehydrated my yeast as per the instructions for my last brew, recently it's been anywhere between sprinkled on top, and kept hydrated in a jar for a week because I forgot to buy something!

Usualy I don't panic untill at least 48 hours have passed, this time I pitched at midnight and by the next morning there was the beginning of a krausen, by mid afternoon I had to turn the fridge down to slow it down a bit and stop the krausen getting any bigger!

I'll be rehydrating properly in future!
 
Sprinkling on top has worked fine me before, but I normally rehydrate in water beforehand. +1 for wort being counterproductive as the sugar interferes with the yeasts ability to absorb water.
 
Starting the yeast off does little or no harm and it proves the yeast is viable before casting it into the wort. I had a bad adventure with a dead pack of yeast earlier this year, the yeast was supplied in resealable 11g packs and I had not been too clever storing it in the kitchen drawer until needed, so back to making starters.
 
I just chuck it in dried and never had any problems. I brew kits and my finished wort is always well oxygenated so I wonder if that helps the little yeasties???
 

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