yeast starters

[PCBrewer]

I seen a lot of people on about  using yeast starters.
What exactly are the benefits of this? I have always just pitched dry yeast directly into the primary

[LordEoin]

A yeast starter is used to initiate cell activity or increase the cell count before using it to make your beer. The yeast will grow in this smaller volume, usually for 1-2 days, which then can be added to 5 gallons of wort.

It's like when you're on the couch watching netflix and someone phones you to go to the pub and you're all like 'Nah, too lazy.. but ok" and then you get to the pub and you're all tired and stuff and it takes ages to get into it.
But if you had been prepared like the starter and you and your mates were all in your front room with coke and hookers and cans of cheap piss, then you'd be in the zone to go and paint the town red.

[LordEoin]

Although, with dry yeast you're normally ok to simply rehydrate or pitch directly.

[DoubleG]

A yeast starter is used to initiate cell activity or increase the cell count before using it to make your beer. The yeast will grow in this smaller volume, usually for 1-2 days, which then can be added to 5 gallons of wort.

It's like when you're on the couch watching netflix and someone phones you to go to the pub and you're all like 'Nah, too lazy.. but ok" and then you get to the pub and you're all tired and stuff and it takes ages to get into it.
But if you had been prepared like the starter and you and your mates were all in your front room with coke and hookers and cans of cheap piss, then you'd be in the zone to go and paint the town red.

Brilliant! 

But do you get better beer through a starter or does liquid yeast eventually catch up if pitched straight into the beer?

[molc]

As with everything, it depends However, most likely no, as the yeast will have been stressed growing in the high alcohol environment, not to mention the viabality of the yeast in the vial before you pitched. More off flavours will be thrown off during the lag phase which may not get cleaned up properly. Also, there is more chance of the yeast stalling in fermentation.

Easiest thing is to always make an appropriate starter if you're getting liquid yeast, otherwise just stick with dry yeast I'd say.

[Leann ull]

To keep on the same theme as LE what happens when a 16 year old goes to a brothel, he or she is done in 5 minutes.
There is insufficient cell count in a yeast vial to hit the ground running in 3rd gear and by the way you should put it in at high Krausen from your starter flask, which is 24-36 hours in or sooner if you have fresh yeast or using stir bars, otherwise you are starting in first gear will loose a few teeth, stress the yeast generating off flavours or it may even crap out altogether
You need big starters for big beers or lagers to get yeast munching

[Pheeel]

There is insufficient cell count in a yeast vial to hit the ground running in 3rd gear

It depends on the beer. A mild should be fine with a vial

[Leann ull]

There is insufficient cell count in a yeast vial to hit the ground running in 3rd gear

It depends on the beer. A mild should be fine with a vial

Sorry but that's just not true 

Working with Liquid yeasts can be a pita and in the US because they are cheaper they pitch a couple at a time to avoid the faff of starters.

A vial in 100% condition straight from the producer contains 100 billion cells, a month old its only 75% viable

So to use a mild as an example, OG is 1030-1039 so taking 1034 on the low side, for 25L, you need 161 billion cells

one average mid dated vial in summer will have 50-80 Billion cells by the time you get it, so between 1/3 and half required level for a fermentation and so to avoid under pitching that will not be stressed from the outset you would need min 0.75L starter using a stirplate or 1.5L without to culture up sufficient yeast.

Remember its important also not to way overcook your yeast pitch but that it far outweighed by off-flavours from underpitching, I'm sorry if I did the dog on the explanation but its really important we get that type of info out there to ensure we are not frustrating ourselves with funky flavoured beers produced with liquid yeasts as I keep seeing and tasting in competitions

[molc]

Pitch sufficient amounts of yeast, with good sanitisation and proper temperature control and you will never again make a bad beer bar something crazy happening.

[Kevin O'Roundwood]

Do you mix the yeast with LME or warm water when making a starter?  And what quantity do you aim for? A pint/a litre?

[PCBrewer]

So what exactly is the advantage of using a liquid yeast over a dried yeast, given that they re 2-3 times the price?

I take it there usually isn't any need for a starter for a dried yeast?

[Simon_]

Few enough strains have a dry alternative and when there is, it is argued that the dry version is compromised and lacks the character of the liquid version.

Also if you reuse your yeast, it's cost is shared over numerous batches. After a while DME is the greater cost of making starters

The best method of reusing yeast in my opinion is to overbuild your starters and refill a vial for later use

[Pepin The Short]

Few enough strains have a dry alternative and when there is, it is argued that the dry version is compromised and lacks the character of the liquid version.

I was just listening to a three part interview with David Logsdon of Wyeast on basic brewing radio . he mentions the fact we have all these great strains of yeast out there ,each with their own distinct flavor and characteristics . but once you have dehydrated them , you have lost that much of the strains characteristics  so it just isnt worth the bother . seems like all you`d really end up with is very weak variations on existing dry yeast .

The brew i have on at the moment is my 4th ever so take anything i say on here with a hefty bag of salt .
but i think decent dry yeast is grand for anybody starting out like myself . if you sprinkle it on evenly as per the directions it should be fine . the Irish red i have on at the moment came out at 1058 , so i rehydrated the yeast to give it a running start . it took off no bother at all . at about 26hrs in i had to take the airlock off and run a sanatized  blow off hoes into a jug of water  .well i didnt have too maybe, but it was 1am and i really didnt fancy waking up to so sort of lovecraft horror lol it`s also sat in a garden shed so god only knows what could have got in there had the airlock got messed up.

After noticing how well rehydrated yeast seems to work . and if you`re going to move to liquid yeast , to take advantage of the much wider selection to pick from.  i cant see why you wouldnt want to give it the best start you could . its prob the least bother you will go through during the entire brew . first get them fighting fit then unleash the hounds i say .

[PCBrewer]

Has anyone got a decent guide to making a  yeast starter?
I have a liquid whitelabs irish ale yeast in the fridge that I would like to use (possibly on a  stout)
but I have never made a starter before. (I have always just pitched dried yeast directly into the wort up till now)
Is there any equipment I need for this?

[pob]

Once again, BrewWiki to the rescue
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/wordpress/brewwiki/yeast-starters/