Can you add too much yeast?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

RedHatt

New Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2021
Messages
4
Reaction score
3
Location
Nashville
I am currently following a recipe that is unclear with how much yeast to use. It's an extract recipe that comes when ordered makes you order two packets of the desired yeast for the brew. But, the recipe instructions don't specify whether the packet is sufficient for 5 gallons or not. The yeast packet itself also does not specify what capacity it can be used for. Is there a downside for just adding both packets? Or am I just wasting yeast?
 
What's the yeast and what's the gravity of the wort? There's no problem adding both (it won't hurt) but might be a waste.
 
My OG was 1.050. And the Yeast I used was LalBrew New England Dry Yeast.
Thank you by the way. I figured it wouldn't hurt anything, but wanted another opinion on it.
 
I haven't used that one, but there's a thread about it on here somewhere (it's only quite new). I think it was mentioned in there that it has a lower cell count than most other dry yeasts. I could be confusing that with a different yeast strain though. I'd add both packs to be sure.
 
My OG was 1.050. And the Yeast I used was LalBrew New England Dry Yeast.
Thank you by the way. I figured it wouldn't hurt anything, but wanted another opinion on it.
Are you using any brewing software by chance (Beersmith, Brewfather, etc) if so, they have yeast pitch calculators that will let you know how much yeast is ideal for your specific recipe or SG.
 
Does the packet of yeast tell you what specific type it is? If so you can the yeast's manufacturer site and find out all their info for that type yeast including dosage recommendations. Which until you understand them are a little hard to recognize how it tells you how much to pitch. But it does.

If this is a brand name kit, then it might be that they only gave you packets labeled as "yeast". If so, you might consider throwing it away next time and buying a yeast that you know what it is so your experiences brewing will be with known things instead of mystery.
 
Prescribed pitching rates for home brewers are mainly about scraping through without too much inconvenience building up yeast. Short answer is, no, as a home brewer, unless you're blagging buckets of fresh yeast slurry from your local brewery, you can't really over pitch, if you're pitching healthy yeast. Aim the 'over' pitch generally. The best way is to repitch yeast from a fresh fermentation. Not always ideal for the home brewer's schedule, but once you see the light, you'll find a way to bend your schedule, I'm sure.
 
That is a relatively weak yeast. Use 2. Per Lallemand, relating to this yeast:

"Thanks for your question. Indeed, the pitching rates for the LalBrew New England and LalBrew Koln strains are higher. These are more sensitive strains and difficult to produce, and as such the viability of the dried yeast is lower. To achieve optimal fermentation performance, we recommend a higher pitching rate for these strains."
 
86D22A49-33C8-4FA0-B4C7-3B07B2F73B00.jpeg
 
Are you using any brewing software by chance (Beersmith, Brewfather, etc) if so, they have yeast pitch calculators that will let you know how much yeast is ideal for your specific recipe or SG.
I don't, but I will for sure look into it. Thank you!
 
Back
Top