Should I be making starters?

[barleypopmaker]

Depending on what type of yeast you are using in your beer, you can always consider using dry yeast. No starter required. I go dry at every chance I get. I bet 90% of my beers are dry yeast. For the most basic yeasts you can use a dry version. for example if you are using WLP001 or Wyeast 1056, just go with US-56.

A lot of times a newer brewer (myself included when I started) gets caught in the whole "liquid yeast is far superior" thing. A few years ago that may have been true, but now dry yeast is pretty damn good as well. But you still cannot get a heffe dry yeast or other more specialized ones. But look into the dry once. If you are doing an english style you can use Safale-04 or even Windsor. I am thinking I want to give the new Belgian dry strain a try sometime soon.

Brewferm Blanche
A dry Belgian wheat-style yeast. Flocculation: low. Attenuation: high. Ferments clean with little or no sulfur. Optimum temperature: 64°-73° F.

and there is even a lager strain now dry.

Brewferm Lager
A dry lager yeast. Flocculation: high. Attenuation: high. Ferments clean and malty. Optimum temperature: 50°-59° F.

You won't be able to always find exactly what you need in a dry yeast but there is more and more coming all the time. Plus, it's so cheap you won't feel the need to repitch on top of a cake.

[SoCal Surfer]

I don't know but I use dry yeast to make starters all the time. They work out great. I've used just the dry yeast without a starter but am much happier with my results with a starter. I've been using that US-56 by safale and have been very pleased.

[Norton]

Now I reviewed this topic and I think that Mort is not as dumb as he acts. Either That or Milt is feeding him info to post. i mean I thought there were a few fellas on this network that were as dumb ( or at least unworldly as I am) But I gues either Mort or Milt is not one of them???