Can You Use Too Much Yeast

[elissamac]

Hi,
I need some help with my Ginger Beer, It had been in the fermenter for two days without any fermenting, no bubbles in the airlock or crud on the top. I threw in another packet of yeast, it then took off like a demon for a good eight days. Will too much yeast harm the brew? will it change the taste? The first Yeast was just the one from under the lid & the next was a spare Ale yeast I had. Thanks in advance

 

[bindi]

Welcome to the forum elissamac.
It is always a good idea to 'prove' you yeast. to see if it's a dud or not and to rehydrate it.
HERE is a quick start, also the search on this site is full of good info.

 

[Phrak]

Hi Elissa, Welcome to AHB

Could you give us a bit more info on the kit that you used please?
What was the brand?
Where did you get it from?
Was there any writing or numbers or anything on the packets of yeast that you used?
Any idea what the used-by date or packaging of the kit was?

Regards,
Tim.

 

[Steve]

elissa - two sachets of yeast wont harm it.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Brownie]

All,

Actually, the title "Can you use too much yeast?", is a question I have wanted answered for some time now.

So here goes:

Can you use too much Yeast?

And if so, how much is too much, 20g, 30g, 40g etc?

Brownie

 

[Doc]

The short answer is yes.
A slightly longer answer is what is too much dependant on the gravity of beer you are brewing.
For a very good picthing rate calculator see here

Beers,
Doc

 

[goatherder]

The answer is yes, you can use too much yeast.

Overpitching tends to result in an overattenuated beer which is dry and thin and may result in faults like acetaldehyde.

The good news is that overpitching is a far less common problem for homebrewers than underpitching.

It sounds like you are using dry yeast Brownie. Assuming you are using a decent yeast from your LHBS, 1 packet for an ale and 2 packets for a lager are pretty good pitching rates for a 23 litre batch.

 

[elissamac]

Welcome to the forum elissamac.
It is always a good idea to 'prove' you yeast. to see if it's a dud or not and to rehydrate it.
HERE is a quick start, also the search on this site is full of good info.

Thanks bindi for the link, I will do this next brew. It's all a learning curve, lucky my friends will drink just about anything. Need to get the bottles empty quick to fill back up with new improved brew.

Phark, I didn't see any numbers on the yeast. I will need to take a few more notes on the next one.

 

[pint of lager]

A resounding yes. The rates of one packet of ale or two packets of lager yeast are a very good baseline.

The classic overpitching is when people try and make a starter from a pack of dried yeast in a one litre starter bottle. There is only a limited amount of nutrient, the yeasts are trying to work without enough nutrient and the end result is poor quality yeast.

Also, when pitching a large quantity of yeast, watch out for unexpected rise in the wort temperature, as the yeast do generate heat. This is especially important when people repicth a whole yeast cake. Much better to use 1/3 of a cup.

The technology of dried yeast has come a long way. We now have a range of different yeasts, not just Mauri 514, which used to be under the lid of every kit.

For the newer brewer, keep it simple. Don't rehydrate, use 1 pack for ales, 2 for lagers

 

[Wardhog]

1 packet for an ale and 2 packets for a lager are pretty good pitching rates for a 23 litre batch.

Does this still hold true when using yeasts like SafLager 34/70?

 

[Voosher]

1 packet for an ale and 2 packets for a lager are pretty good pitching rates for a 23 litre batch.

Does this still hold true when using yeasts like SafLager 34/70?

Depends on the size of the packs I guess.

0.5g/l for ales... so one 11.5g pack for a 23l batch
1g/l for lagers... so two 11.5g packs.