Pitch liquid yeast without starter?

sambre · December 29, 2021, 5:41pm

Hello all. I have been home brewing for a couple of years now, and for whatever reason I have always only used dry yeast. I have just ordered a new extract kit (Hula Hope’s Milkshake IPA), and I am planning on using liquid yeast for the first time. The yeast strain is Imperial A24 day hop yeast. The OG for this brew is middle of the road (1.060).
I’m curious - is it absolutely necessary to create a yeast starter to pitch my yeast? My fermentation temperature should be spot on for this strain. Or, can I just pitch the liquid yeast directly into the wort? If I do that, are there any other “rules” I should follow? Let the yeast come to room temp first?

Thanks!

sneezles61 · December 29, 2021, 5:52pm

You certainly can pitch directly… Be sure to make sure the yeast slurry is mixed together… If in a bag… you’ll be kneading the bag for a few minutes…
Reason I do starters is to verify the yeast is alive and well… The second reason is to wake up the yeast… get it for action… Sometimes the “lag” time will cause you to worry about the fermenting… My belief… the sooner the fermenting starts, the less chance another bug will get a foothold in yer brew…
I myself have now switched to dry yeasts… and harvesting after its finished fermenting a batch…
Sneezles61

brew_cat · December 29, 2021, 5:57pm

Ive done it a few times to no I’ll effect on a few beers. Id pitch at medium temperature and it may lag a bit. Just make sure you have good sanitation to protect the wort during that lag

sambre · December 29, 2021, 10:04pm

Thanks guys! I’ll like try to pitch it without a starter. I’ll be cautious with my sanitation!

loopie_beer · December 31, 2021, 2:20am

Sorry. If you’re using liquid yeast you make a starter. Even at low OG. The amount of active yeast in the pouch is dependent on so many things - transport of yeast to supplier, storage of yeast by supplier, age of yeast. Then you also need to focus on if you have a pitchable amount and did you provide enough dissolved O2 in the wort. Dry yeast are packaged with glycogen and other nutrients to assist in lag time and fermenting, while having more ‘active yeast.’ Liquid yeast is a different animal.
Reasons to make a starter:

wake up the yeast for low OG
build up enough yeast slurry for a pitchable amount per OG
This is why I’ve moved to dry as much as possible. Dry yeast quality has really come a long to the quality of liquid yeast. Dry yeast EASILY provide more active, healthy yeast population. It’s cheaper than buying liquid yeast, DME, then continuing to build that up for an appropriate pitch. It’s much easier. It’s easier to store. You can store it for MUCH MUCH longer.
The ONLY time I use liquid yeast if there is no dry yeast equivalent or I’ve tried the strain and it just isn’t up to par with a liquid strain.

brew_cat · December 31, 2021, 12:41pm

I use mostly dry yeast as well many more strains available now than a few years ago. I still use liquid yeast for the Belgian and wheats though and don’t make a starter

radagast · December 31, 2021, 2:29pm

When I use liquid yeast, I bump up my preboil volume by 1/2 gallon or so, boil that for 10 mins, then drain off a starter into my flask. I chill that, pitch yeast and pop it on my stir plate while I complete my brewday. I then pitch that starter into my wort before bed. Typically gives me about 8-9 hours and has worked really well for me.

Rad