Overpitching dry yeast

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RandalG

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So I made a Gumballhead clone the other day and used 2 - 11g US-05 yeast packets. I usually use liquid yeast with starters. I was reading John Plamers book and he said to use 2 packs. Looking back he may have been talking about the smaller packs. It took off and I almost needed a blow off tube. I have a fermentation chamber so it's been steady at 68 the past few days I've been reading some posts about overpitching producing off flavors. Do you think I ruined the batch?
 
I think you're probably fine. Overpitching to a degree that causes off-flavors is rarely an issue for home brewing, and pitching 2 packs into a hop-forward beer like that is probably not going to have a negative impact on the final product.
 
I'd worry more about the temperature causing off flavors than overpitching by that amount. The fact that you nearly needed a blowoff suggests that your ferment was quite violent. For your next batch try fermenting the US-5 at 63 and see if that doesn't get you a cleaner taste.
 
Actually I pitched at 63 and let it rise to 68 as that's what the recipe called for. But thanks for the tip. I'll try that next time to see if it makes a difference.
 
Doubt you will have off flavors. Your beer will just be thin and somewhat harsh.

I doubt it. What was your OG? If it was above 1.060 or if you didn't rehydrate the yeast, you probably didn't over pitch by much (if at all).

About the only practical way in a homebrew setting to create problems with a really bad over pitch is to dump a batch of low-mid gravity wort onto an entire fresh yeast cake.

Is the 68*F beer temp or air? If beer, you're OK (although 64-65 for the first few days would be preferable). If that's the air temp, you're running it too warm and you may see some unwanted flavors from that.
 
I doubt it. What was your OG? If it was above 1.060 or if you didn't rehydrate the yeast, you probably didn't over pitch by much (if at all).

About the only practical way in a homebrew setting to create problems with a really bad over pitch is to dump a batch of low-mid gravity wort onto an entire fresh yeast cake.

Is the 68*F beer temp or air? If beer, you're OK (although 64-65 for the first few days would be preferable). If that's the air temp, you're running it too warm and you may see some unwanted flavors from that.

It was only 1.054. I did rehydrate and have a fermentation chamber so I pitched at 63 and the temp rose to 68 over a day or so.
 
You are in the sweet spot temperature-wise for that yeast, and while you may have pitched more cells than you needed I still wouldn't worry about this one at all. Let 'er ride and enjoy the beer.
 
It was only 1.054. I did rehydrate and have a fermentation chamber so I pitched at 63 and the temp rose to 68 over a day or so.

I wouldn't anticipate any real problems related to pitching those two packs in a 1.054 wort or from your temps. The only harm is that you used a packet that you didn't need to.

Hope it turns out tasty.:mug:
 
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