Overpitching Yeast

[hoppyscotty]

I can't wrap my head around why that would be the case for dried yeasts as it certainly isn't true for liquid yeasts.

Even if you aren't trying to propagate more yeast, a starter is beneficial for ensuring you have healthy yeast before you pitch it. That's why Wyeast sell their liquid yeast in 'smack packs', which is essentially a mini-starter.

I don’t think this is the reason for a starter. There is no difference in dumping your yeast into a starter wort or your main wort. The reason for a starter is to increase the yeast cell population from a smaller sample of yeast cells.. using a small few hundred ml vile of yeast and growing the population instead of a litre vile.

 

[hoppyscotty]

Obviously not everyone is producing beers for competitions, but something to bear in mind is that the Malt Miller have previously mentioned that one of the common issues they've seen during judging is under-pitching and the subsequent off-flavours that it produces. They have recently done a couple of YouTube videos on yeast as a bit of a follow-up, but must admit I haven't got round to watching them yet so not sure what is specifically covered.

If you are getting off flavours from stressed yeast I’m not sure you can ascertain in which way they have been stressed wether it be underpitching, lack of decent fermentation temperature control or anything else.I’ve never brewers for a proper competition but have done a few competitions through my local homebrew club and a lot of beers have classic off flavours indicating stressed yeast and knowing the brewers and their kit pretty much all of them don’t utilise any or particularly good fermentation temp control.

Dried yeasts are the best thing that has happened to home brewers in my opinion. Cheap, accurate, robust, a lot less faff. I’ll always look for a dried yeast in a recipe unless it’s a beer where it is absolutely necessary to use a specific yeast.

 

[MrJay83]

Bz’’s are not great at managing a consistent temp over the height of the grist column. It’s a tall and thin grist column which is not the ideal shape for a mash tin. The temp sensor is at the bottom so the column can be a different temp at the top with a gradient. I always run an overflow during mash as I find I get a more consistent temp as if there is a gradient you are diluting the warmer wort at the bottom with cooler wort from the top.

I seen David Heath doing that. Seems a bit counterintuitive with all the wort going down the centre but he's got far more experience than me.

 

[Stu's Brews]

I don’t think this is the reason for a starter. There is no difference in dumping your yeast into a starter wort or your main wort. The reason for a starter is to increase the yeast cell population from a smaller sample of yeast cells.. using a small few hundred ml vile of yeast and growing the population instead of a litre vile.

Fully agree the main reason for a starter is to propagate more yeast, however, this is what Wyeast say about their Smack Packs which explains what I was saying about making sure you have healthy yeast:

For 35 years, the Wyeast Activator™ is the only product that “proofs” the yeast and shortens lag time when it hits your wort. Activator™ packages include an internal packet which, when smacked, releases its contents into the yeast slurry and revitalizes the cells. The available sugars and nutrients initiate the culture’s metabolism which in turn generates CO₂ and causes swelling of the package, serving as a viability and vitality test as well. Although beneficial, cultures do not need to be activated prior to inoculation.

 It must be said, having read more about dried yeasts I can definitely see the appeal in terms of ease of use.

 

[Stu's Brews]

If you are getting off flavours from stressed yeast I’m not sure you can ascertain in which way they have been stressed wether it be underpitching, lack of decent fermentation temperature control or anything else.I’ve never brewers for a proper competition but have done a few competitions through my local homebrew club and a lot of beers have classic off flavours indicating stressed yeast and knowing the brewers and their kit pretty much all of them don’t utilise any or particularly good fermentation temp control.

That's a fair point and quite possible I mis-quoted them as it was a while back that it was mentioned, so could have been 'yeast issues' as a more general point.

Pitch rate, yeast health and temperature control are all very important to ensuring a healthy, clean fermentation.