Using Wyeast for smaller than 5 gallons

I'm curious for people's opinion on this.

I brew 3 gallon batches rather than the standard 5. I know, I know - it would make more sense to just replace what I have with a 5 gallon setup, but...

Anyway, given that the Wyeast packs are measured so you can just dump the whole thing into 5 gallons of wort, what do you suppose will happen if I dumped one into three gallons of wort?

Is it a bad thing to have too much yeast in there? Will it lead to off flavors?

I'll be making an ale with a starting gravity @ 1.055 or so. In the primary for a week, secondary for two, then bottle.

Thanks everyone.

If anything, those yeast packs have less than the optimal amount of viable cells. They claim that they do, but I've had enough of them fail or have long lag times that I'm making starters from now on.

Given that, and given that the yeast will propegate to the amount that the wort can sustain, you'll be just fine pitching into 3 gallon batches. Don't worry a bit. There won't be "off-flavors" unless you leave it in the primary fermenter for months.

Yep, what Evan said. I make big starters for my batches which is probably 5-10x the amount of a smack pack or whitel labs vial. Bigger the better for the most part.

From everything I've heard it's really hard to over-pitch so I wouldn't be too concerned.

I'm far from an experianced brewer. (six five gallon batches) but I've spoken to some very knowleageable brewers from the Dinuba Beer Weavels brewing club and the overall concensus is that most homebrewers under pitch Soooo I've been making starters in a erlemyer flask and have been pitching 500ml of yeast to a five gallon batch and all have had very active fermentation cycles. With no off flavors noted . Just my 2 cents!!!

I've even pitched half vials without any problems...in a starter, of course...