wyeast smack packs... do I need to "incubate" in a beaker?

You are opening a whole can of worms with a question like that.

You can get by with just using your method.....most of the time. What you are doing is just bringing the yeast out of a dormant state so it can start working immediately upon pitching into your wort.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that the Wyeast smack packs as well as the White Labs vials only have about 1/4 the proper amount of yeast for a 5 gallon batch of beer. Underpitching like this can bring about a couple of problems.

First, it that it may lead to excessive lag times. In other words it may take up to 48 hours for active fermentation to get underway. This gives any other bacteria that may be present to begin working before the yeast has a chance to get established and prevent the bacteria from becoming the dominant organism. Having excellent sanitation procedures will help keep this from becoming a problem.

Second, by underpitching the yeast you will be putting the yeast under stress. Stressed yeast will produce byproducts that will adversely affect the flavor of your beer.

As I said, you can get away with this most of the time. Many people never make a starter (incubating the yeast is how you put it). Making a proper size starter, however, will produce consistently better beer and cut down the chance for infection.

For a much better discussion on the use of starters check out the chapter on yeast and starters in

or Between the two you will learn all you ever need to know about yeast.

Wayne Bugeater Brewing Company

Wayne,

Thanks for the input. I just used the smack pack as I normally do and I have a nice fermentation going already (within 24 hours). I will keep in mind the advantages of using a yeast starter. Maybe next time to see if it makes a difference. In my meager two years of brewing, I haven't had a single infection (knock wood) which I attribute to good sanitation practices.

Thanks again.

JM

Making a starter is more about making good beer than preventing infection. Yeast will only reproduce a limited number of times, so to get a good healthy fermentation you need to start with a large cell population. That's what a starter gives you.

----------->Denny

-- Life begins at 60...1.060, that is.

Are you sure about that? If this were the case:

1) How would we have any yeast around today? 2) Wouldn't you be wasting valuable reproduction time by making a starter?

Scotty B

Optimally, a new yeast cell will/should bud 3 times. Then the new cells created from that will/should bud 3 times. etc. If that wasn't the case, you'd only need to pitch one cell into your wort! ;)

--------->Denny

-- Life begins at 60...1.060, that is.