Starter yeast specific gravity

[bearded_brew]

Howdy-
I'm getting into the starter yeast game. I've read you want SG to be 1.030, what's the worries about a higher or lower SG? Also, am I expecting fermentation to start up faster? Also, if I have a gallon batch and I have about a liter of starter yeast is that too much?

E.t.h.

 

[2thGuy]

You want the SG of the starter to be around there because you want it to be high enough to have enough nutrients but not too high that will stress out the yeast. Fermentation usually starts faster since the yeast are active. Depending on your gravity of your 1 gal batch, a 1L starter is probably too much yeast. Go to the yeast calculator on mrmalty.com to find out how many yeast cells you need.

 

[Spintab]

Shoot for between 1.030 and 1.040. Less and you're not efficiently populating your colony. More and you're stressing it. Fermenting your whole batch with a starter will likely cause fermentation to start quicker, stronger, and more healthy. For a gallon batch, half to a whole white labs vial is all you need. No need for a starter. Now if you were making say 3 or more gallon batches, you could make a starter and spread the yeast across all of them equally. You don't want your starter to make up more than a few percent of the volume of your batch. A liter starter would be what, 26 point something percent of it.