Dear BeerSmith users,
I am new to homebrewing and am reading How To Brew, Yeast (White and Zainasheff) and others to learn how to best use, manage and hopefully harvest and propagate Yeast! As you can see in the subject line my main confusion is this:
Why do homebrewers use starters for 5gal batches of 12 'Plato ale wort if the yeast producers (White Labs, Wyeast, Omega) claim purchased yeast is pitchable straight out of the package and do not need starters to ferment properly?
I understand that a roughly 5 gallon batch of ale wort needs 180 billion yeast cells (at a pitch rate of 0.75 million/mL) to ferment a 12 'Plato batch so any normal package with roughly 100 billion shouldn't be "pitchable" because it is roughly half as much yeast homebrewers suggest using.
Maybe I am missing something or being too naive in trusting yeast labs but why would they lie? Aren't they the microbiologists after all?
Please help me clear up my misunderstanding!
Fellow Home Brewer,
John
I am new to homebrewing and am reading How To Brew, Yeast (White and Zainasheff) and others to learn how to best use, manage and hopefully harvest and propagate Yeast! As you can see in the subject line my main confusion is this:
Why do homebrewers use starters for 5gal batches of 12 'Plato ale wort if the yeast producers (White Labs, Wyeast, Omega) claim purchased yeast is pitchable straight out of the package and do not need starters to ferment properly?
I understand that a roughly 5 gallon batch of ale wort needs 180 billion yeast cells (at a pitch rate of 0.75 million/mL) to ferment a 12 'Plato batch so any normal package with roughly 100 billion shouldn't be "pitchable" because it is roughly half as much yeast homebrewers suggest using.
Maybe I am missing something or being too naive in trusting yeast labs but why would they lie? Aren't they the microbiologists after all?
Please help me clear up my misunderstanding!
Fellow Home Brewer,
John