Under / over pitching and Beersmith

[Aleksaah]

Hi all,

I am quite new to liquid yeast and starters.

I have read many places that it is important to pitch enough yeast to avoid off-tastes etc. The same sources also often highlight that it is bad to pitch too much.

Beersmith tells me that I need 343 Billion celles for a given recipie. If I follow the recommodation provided, I would use 1 vial and a starter size of 1.72 liters. This vould get me to exactly 343 Billion cells. Pitch rate 0.75.

Would you just blindly create a starter based on those numbers provided by Beersmith, or would you increase the starter? What is "over pitching" and "under pitching" in relation to a need for 343 B?

-Aleksander

 

[ImNoExpert]

It takes A LOT of yeast to be over pitched. I don't worry about it unless I'm several hundred billion over.

 

[green_giant43]

It takes A LOT of yeast to be over pitched. I don't worry about it unless I'm several hundred billion over.

Yep. Make a 2L starter and be done with it.

 

[Gameface]

Agreed. Aim high but don't try to shoot the moon.

 

[BobBailey]

I agree to pitching a little high rather than low. From all I have read pitching high, unless carried to extremes, will not matter in the beer as much as pitching low. The worst effect of a high pitching rate is on future generations of yeast if you harvest yeast from the fermenter.
I reuse yeast, but instead of harvesting from the fermenter I usually build a starter with 100B extra cells (aprox.) and save the extra for reuse.

 

[MattyIce]

You'll be fine. I have pitched on to entire yeast cakes of prior batches and made some tasty brews.