Overpitching/Underpitching

[BucksBrewer]

What constitutes 'overpitching'? I try to build my yeast starters to just slightly over what brewersfriend calculator tells me I need for my batch. I'm seeing that they don't ferment out to my expected FG.
How far over should I go before the extra yeast will affect the final flavor and texture of the beer? Is it 100 billion cells, 200? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
I'm getting of the mindset that I'd rather overpitch to an extent, so as to avoid incomplete fermentation, but I don't want to go too far over, either.

 

[kh54s10]

If your beers are not fermenting to FG, which BTW is just a prediction based on calculations made from the recipe and attenuation of the yeast, there is something else going on. How far off? IMO, you will very rarely hit the FG number spot on.

There are far more things that will prevent hitting FG than the cell count of the yeast.

I use this calculator: http://www.yeastcalculator.com/ For method of aeration I use K. Troester on stirplate. I use the cell count suggested. It has never failed to produce a good beer even when missing the FG prediction.

 

[BucksBrewer]

If your beers are not fermenting to FG, which BTW is just a prediction based on calculations made from the recipe and attenuation of the yeast, there is something else going on. How far off? IMO, you will very rarely hit the FG number spot on.

There are far more things that will prevent hitting FG than the cell count of the yeast.

I use this calculator: http://www.yeastcalculator.com/ For method of aeration I use K. Troester on stirplate. I use the cell count suggested. It has never failed to produce a good beer even when missing the FG prediction.

My last beer's FG was 1.024, and the expected FG was 1.011. I don't mind it being off a little, but that seemed excessive to me.

 

[kh54s10]

To diagnose we will need more information. Recipe, OG, style of brewing, procedure etc. As detailed as possible. Pitch rate may have an effect, but even when underpitching quite a bit in an average beer you should get full fermentation. You may get off flavors with a serious underpitch. It is much harder to get bad results overpitching unless you are sensitive to the taste of the yeast itself.

 

[kh54s10]

Just noticed that there are 2 threads on this. There is more information given in the other thread.