Is too much yeast a problem?

[jodrell]

It's too late now and I forgot to ask this question in my Yeasty Experimentation thread (http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=15046) but is it a problem if you put too much yeast in during primary fermentation?

Each FV has around 4.5L of wort in it but I've used full yeast sachets in each. Is this just harmless overkill or will it cause issues?

 

[Cussword]

It will be fine :thumb:

 

[luckyeddie]

Far, far better to over-pitch than under-pitch. You may not generate so many of the esters and phenols that are part of the flavour characteristics of beer (which I think you were trying to identify and distinguish), but you will still get 'different' beers, although perhaps not as different as you originally intended.

It's called 'experimental error' - and gives you the opportunity to try the whole thing again in future after drinking this lot (hic, you're my best mate you are) - using 1/5 to 1/4 of a packet for each demijohn. Even better - you could repeat the experiment another 4 or 5 times, changing pitching / fermenting temperature each time.

I smell a summer project.

 

[jodrell]

well one of the ideas behind getting the demi-johns was to be able to make beer in very small amounts to test on different recipes so I'm think this process is going to be repeated many times ;-)

(just need to figure out making a mini mash-tun now!)

 

[luckyeddie]

You have inspired me. There's a guy on freecycle today trying to get rid of 8 demijohns (no idea what the size is). I'm currently trying to beg some of them.

For a mini-mash, try using a Ritchie's sparge bag and a large saucepan (or a pair of the missus's tights if you want a more fishy beer).

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I wish I hadn't said that.

 

[ncmcdonald]

A sparging bag is a good idea and something I have done several times in a large stock pot. As long as you can keep your mash temperature consistent throughout a 60 mintue mash then I would give this a go because it's so cheap to do.

Whenever I have done this I have preheated the oven to 60C and then doughed in, into the stock pot and then stuck the whole pot into the oven. If your oven is big enough for your pot you can mash for 60 minutes and literally lose no heat, because there is little difference between the mash temp and ambient temp. If you want to go this route then get a cheap oven thermotmeter to make sure your temps. are accurate.

I have mashed on the hob as well, you just have to light a burner after a little while and stir the mash to keep the temp up.

 

[jodrell]

cooking Beer in the oven...sounds like a winner to me :

 

[luckyeddie]

I was thinking about mini-mashing this afternoon whilst drinking in the sunshine (and drinking - in the sunshine).

A 5 litre PET container - the type that 'bottled' water comes in - would be ideal for this purpose. Shove a kilo of grain in, 2.5 litres of water at strike temperature, swirl to eliminate dough balls, stick in a water bath (i.e. the sink). It would require hands-on attention to keep the water bath at the correct temperature, but after an hour (or whatever), just strain out into the boiler / saucepan. A couple of 1 litre batch sparges at 77C - same treatment, slosh, strain - then boil in the stock pot. Return to the PET container (sterilised of course), crash cool in the sink then carefully syphon into a demijohn to leave the break material (or some of it) behind. Pitch yeast, double-drop the next day and away you go.

 

[jodrell]

sounds workable, and the demi-johns I've got are 5L so should work...

We're getting really small now, does that make this Nano Brewing ;-)

 

[luckyeddie]

sounds workable, and the demi-johns I've got are 5L so should work...

We're getting really small now, does that make this Nano Brewing ;-)

Pico. The 20 litre - 50 litre brewlengths are Nano.