Did I use way too much yeast?

[ethanstrayer]

So I just brewed my first batch that wasn't a pre-built kit.

I decided on my all my ingredients. I picked Munton and Fison Ale Yeast partially because I have a 1 gallon kit. The packets are only 6 grams. Most of the other yeast I saw online was sold in 11 gram packets.

I only have a 1 gallon kit, and in the previous recipe kits I had used the instructions were to only use half the packet so I assumed since I have about half as much yeast, I should just go ahead and use the whole packet. I followed the rehydration instructions that came with the yeast and added it to my brew.

So I finished my brew at 9PM.

Around 2 AM the yeast was going crazy and had knocked the airlock off the top of my fermenting jug. (it had been sitting under a blanket. I cleaned it (and the floor) I put as little water as I ever had back into the airlock, and popped the cap back on top. I watched it for about 20 minutes and it just did not stop. My first batch took like two or three days before i saw any significant foam on top and foam covered the inside of the jug.

So this morning 7 AM ish. I check on it (I had left it sitting in the sink.) And the cap had exploded off of the fermenter I have yet to find it. The ceiling is stained and it appears to have exploded. The airlock is currently full of unfermented beer. but the foam appears to have died down to just the top few inches of the beer.

Did I infact use way to much yeast?
What will happen to my beer?
Will it still bottle okay or will it explode in the bottle when I add the priming sugars?

 

[Demus]

Patience! Let it do it's thing for a few weeks and most of the yeast will settle out. Once that happens it shouldn't be any different than any other batch. Just make sure it's COMPLETELY done fermenting, which is always true.

In the future, it's always a good idea to use a blowoff tube type setup for at least the first few days of strongest fermentation. Airlocks just can't handle a vigorous ferment very well. Even if the don't hit the ceiling, the bubbling will probably just blow all the liquid out in a few hours anyway.

As to your pitch rate, you probably did overdue it. If 11 grams is good for 5 gallons, 6 grams should be good for about 3. You used that much in one, so by simple math you had about triple the amount of yeast you needed. This is very rough estimate type numbers; it's best to use a pitch rate calculator like yeastcalc.com (free) that accounts for batch volume AND gravity.

All this said, you should be fine on this batch. If you don't have a wide enough tube to do a blowoff, just cover the opening in sanitized foil until it slows down in a few days then put the airlock back on. Leave it alone for at least a week after ALL signs of fermentation are complete. Then, check the gravity at least 3 days apart and confirm an IDENTICAL reading. If confirmed, bottle. If the second reading is even slightly lower, wait another week and repeat.

Enjoy!