I really don’t know anything about yeast and pitching yeast when it comes to brewing beer. So, I’m looking for good articles or post on here for a Newb? As far as equipment goes, I do have a 1,000 ml pyrex flask and it looks as though I will be needing a stir plate. Recommendations on a decent but inexpensive stir plate would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
There is a whole sub forum on yeast and fermentation with tons of questions and answers. It’s a great resource. If you search for SNS starter method, you may decide to skip the stir plate, as several people here have. It’s “shaken not stirred” and works great for me
Computer fan, magnet, stir bar, Tupperware container, and foam bung.
I shook my starters for the 1st year. No absolute need for a starter stir plate.
Franx- beat me to it 
You can pic up a book - Palmer/Mosher/Kunze/Narsis to name a few
Web - braukiaser.com phdinbeer.com brewgeeks.com byo.com etc
Social media- Milkthefunk
Multisource some articles on brewers yeast life cycle or phases.
Understanding lag, growth, fermentation/stationary, and sedimentation/flocculation are the basic overview. Reading in depth about ale yeast, lager yeast, brettanomyces, and bacteria in beer.
I have been through all the stages of yeast, I think. Went from 1 qt. shaken to yeast calculators and then stir plates. I’m back to no yeast calculator and using the “Shaken, Not Stirred” method of making starters. You can find info about it with a search of the forum. I discovered that all that other hoo haw is unnecessary and a needless complication, not to mention that I get better results than when I used all that other stuff.
In it’s simplest form, using 1 liter/quart of 1.030 wort plus your liquid yeast in a half gallon growler about 8-24 hours in advance of pitching will suffice. Get your chilled and sanitary wort into the growler, add the yeast, put the lid on and shake the sh!t out of it until it’s super foamy; then remove the lid and put an airlock or sanitized aluminum on the opening; wait until the starter is forming good krausen/foam on top and pitch into your 5 gallons of wort. The timing may vary depending on several variables but usually 12-18 hours is sufficient, but it may go as quick as 8 or as long as 24 (or more depending).
I agree that this is a good way to start. It may also be as far as you need to go. Keep in mind, bigger beers need more yeast.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some of us have been brewing for a long time and, as Denny noted, have gone through various different methods of growing/pitching yeast. A lot of us also have a few favorite strains we’ve used over and over. My point being that we’ve likely grown accustomed to the yeast performance and we’re able to judge whether or not we have enough yeast for what we are brewing, regardless of the mechanism we use to grow it (stir plate, SNS, etc.). There’s no substitute for experience. However, reading as much as you can will help. I’d check out the yeast calculators at least to get an understanding of them even if you never use them (I never have). I’d also read the SNS threads. There’s a TON of info there. I haven’t used my stir plates in a couple years.
As I alluded to earlier and Joe and others mention now, start with SNS method. If you dont get the results you want, then you could build/buy a stir plate and try that method. I on the other hand, bought a stir plate, used it for 1-2 batches and then read about SNS on here and have not touched my stir plate in 2 years(or so.) In the end, to me, the stir plate turned out to be a piece of brewing equipment I feel I wasted my money on. Just trying to save you that hassle and expense
For $12.91, you can learn a lot from this book:
If you are making starters sized for 5 gallon batches, you’re going to want something bigger. One gallon glass jugs work well and you can get one at the market (full of juice, no less) for like $5.
Another way to go is to brew a low gravity beer and just pitch a “pitchable” pack of yeast. Fresh Omega Yeast Labs packs can be pitched into 1.040 gravity beers pretty reliably (ales), without any issues. Then re-pitch a third to half of the yeast cake onto the next batch and it will take right off.
All great information. Thank you.
This is a nice chart to give an overview of the different types of microbes ;D
