Too Much Energizer/Nutrient?

Typically use a product from my LHBS that is both yeast nutrient and energizer. The recommended dosage is 1 tsp per gallon. Is it possible to use too much of this stuff?

I'm planning on dumping a pound per gallon in or anything. I usually come back about halfway thru the fermentation and add another 2 tsps per 5 gallons.

Would too much create off flavors, cause yeast to ferment below where it would usually stop, etc. Thanks for in advance for any thoughts or opinions!

i have no idea about off flavors, but you're likely wasting the stuff. the recommended dose is recommended for a reason. if there was any advantage to using more, i'm sure the manufafcturers would be happy to tell you to use more. i wouldn't be surprised if there was a negative consequence to using too much.

Impossible to even guess without knowing what is in the product.

Thanks for the replies. Here's a basic ingredient list:
Di-ammonium phosphate
yeast hulls
vitamins
magnesium sulphate

Most of the yeast nutrients I have used did not smell very good so I never really wanted to add them anywhere but the boil for that reason. But if your not noticing anything negative to the final product then I would think it should be fine. I do remember reading somewhere though that yeast nutrient is added to the boil usually to release the nitrogen in it into the wort so at worst it may just be a waste of nutrient.

I'm using the recommended dosage at the start of primary, and haven't noticed any odors or anything like that. It was more of a theoretical question - like if you tripled to dosage (3 tsp per gallon) would it just go unused (like if a person would take 3 vitamin pills) or if it was more like Tylenol (where recommended dose is 2 pills, but 4 is prescription strength, but 20 pills will hurt you). That's about the best analogy as I could come up with. Or maybe caffeine would be a better example - 1 cup of coffee gives you a little perk, 5 cups makes you wired and taking a whole bottle of Trucker's Choice makes your heart explode.

Thanks again for the replies! I'm not planning on dumping a ton in my beer, but was just curious what would happen.

cadillacandy said:

Typically use a product from my LHBS that is both yeast nutrient and energizer. The recommended dosage is 1 tsp per gallon. Is it possible to use too much of this stuff?

I'm planning on dumping a pound per gallon in or anything. I usually come back about halfway thru the fermentation and add another 2 tsps per 5 gallons.

Would too much create off flavors, cause yeast to ferment below where it would usually stop, etc. Thanks for in advance for any thoughts or opinions!

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step away from the carboy and RDW. you're way over thinking this one.
if you're adding nutrient to the boil, then that's all ya need. unless you're having problems and needing to repitch, there's really no reason to continually add nutrient to a batch that's fermenting. the yeast use the nutrient during the lag and reproductive phases, after that all they care about is sugar.

Looks like I had a typo up there - I'm NOT planning on mega dosing anything! That kind of changes the whole meaning of my post!

I was just curious how the stuff worked and if anything bad could happen if one were to abuse it.

Thanks again for the replies!