Liquid yeast, do need to make a starter?

Question

I'm making mini batches with IPAs(4-5 liters/ca 1,5 gallon), and with my three first brews I've used dry yeast. On my next mini batch I'll use liquid yeast(WLP005), do I need to make a starter or is the batch small enough to just put the yeast in.

I have also read that if the O.G. is at a certain level I need to make a starter. How do I know the O.G. level without starting making my brew?

thanks

Answer 1

You don't need a starter since you're pitching to 1/4 batch size that a whitelabs vial is good for. Normally you'd use 2-4 vials for a 20 liter batch, depending upon gravity, so that's equivalent to 1/2 to 1 a vial for a 5 liter batch.

For the detailed figures, see Always making a starter vs. following package description.

One way to know the OG prior to brewing is to use a recipe calculator. You're not looking for an exact OG - a ballpark figure of +/- 4SG/1 brix is fine.