Yeast Starter Question

Can using a yeast starter be detrimental when brewing lighter gravity beers? Is it recommended to always use a starter?

My experience is that a starter is unnecessary for beers under 1.040 OG, with the caveat that the yeast is fairly fresh. Overpitching can lead to excessive ester production, but it’s a minor concern.

Is it superfluous to make a starter when using dry yeast?

Yes. A pack of dry yeast has many more cells than a pack of liquid yeast, so a starter is unnecessary. It could even be detrimental because the yeast will use up the nutrients it’s coated with wheproduced before it gets into the beer, where those nutrients are really needed.