Lager Starter - Over-pitching

Looking for opinions here. In general if you're doing a starter for a lager and yeastcalc.com says you need x number of cells, how much of a percentage over x can you go before you start getting the off flavors associated with over- pitching?

For instance I'm assuming if you doubled x you would for sure have off flavors. But has any one had an experience that would suggest otherwise?

I'm just getting in to doing some reading on the subject and though I'm reading a fair bit about over-pitching, I'm not seeing a lot of specific data on specifically how much is too much...

Thoughts?

i wouldnt worry about over pitching. If anything you might have a lack of esters (which is desireable). I overpitched a good kolsch recipe and it tasted like a light american lager-

reinstone said:

i wouldnt worry about over pitching. If anything you might have a lack of esters (which is desireable). I overpitched a good kolsch recipe and it tasted like a light american lager-

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Just curious reinstone, by how much would you say you over pitched the kolsch? 20%? more? I get that over=pitching is pretty tough, and not as "bad" as under pitching... But I'm wondering if anybody has any info about how far you can really push that philosophy. Even if its just anecdotal. Thanks much for the response btw.

Im not sure about the amount overpitched-if any------I think all is okay.....wait for the brew.....if you make a lager that is too smooth....count me in!!!

What off flavours do you associate with over-pitching?

I try to pitch 1.5 million cells per millilitre per degree Plato into my lagers. I recently read that if you are going cold you could go 2 million. On their product sheet, Saflager recommends up to 300g/hectolitre at 9 degrees Celcius (48 degrees; I often go cooler than 48 with that strain). So that's 60 grams, rehydrated, for a 20 litre batch (5.25 gallons).

Conventional wisdom is 20 billion cells per gram. 60 grams is thus 1,200 billion, or 1.2 trillion cells. That's a pitching rate of 4.8 million cells per millilitre per degree Plato for a 1.050 beer, more than three times what I use, which itself is on the high side of most recommendations.

Moral of the story? You're not going to overpitch your lager anytime soon. I don't see any reason to get ridiculous with the pitching rate. Underpitching is a far greater concern.