Charlie W said:
I was wondering if I pitched too much yeast? Is that possible?
First, Over pitching is possible, although in your example, you are probably fine. The results of an over pitch are that the yeast, being plentiful, consume all the available sugar with ease, and therefore the growth phase is limited. This results in a beer that lacks the fine character that that yeast would normally give to the beer. Some yeast have a lot of character (Belgian for instance), and some less or no character in their impact on the final beer. You are better off slightly over pitching then you would be under pitching. This probably wouldn't effect the prime as only a trace amount of yeast is necessary for priming. Temperature, good seal on the caps, making sure the prime is well mixed and distributed evenly in the bucket,
TIME. These are more likely the cause.
Second, how you wash your yeast can have some effect on the primary fermentation. I mix the yeast cake with boiled and cooled water and allow it to stratify (20 min or so), then I siphon out only the middle layer. It usually has a light cream color. This consists mainly of healthy viable cells, good for a clean healthy ferment. The yeast on the bottom layer is mostly dead cells, and those that floculate and drop out quickly, both of which are of no use in the fermentation, as well as proteins, break material, grain bits, and hop particles. The upper layer is mostly water and the light dusty yeast that may ferment sugar, but tend to not drop out resulting in a cloudy beer, especially if used repeatedly. This also has minimal effect on prime.
Third, higher pitch rated can increase attenuation, as the yeast can consume all the sugar possible before giving up, and dropping out. That is why a proper yeast calculation is necessary if you want a specific attenuation. because the yeast then will have to work harder, and reproduce a few generations, and in the process will use up all the sterols, then drop out. Sort of like running out of gas, even though there may be some fermentables left. Yeast will consume the simplest sugars first, then work on the more complex sugars. When the work gets too difficult, and their energy runs low, they will quit. So if you want a extremely dry beer, one option is a large pitch. This will reduce you F.G. some, at the cost of yeast character.
Still, the prime of the beer is dependent on available sugar, temperature, and viable yeast. An over pitch would conceivably have an abundance of viable yeast cells, regardless of attenuation. Increasing the priming sugar will increase the carbonation level, if that's what you want, but be sure to allow plenty of time for the yeast to do its job. If you increase the prime rate to get a beer carbonated to your desired level at the two week mark, then If any sugar remains, it will be consumed, however slowly, and the carb level may not be what you desire at the one, or two month mark. Bottle bombs are an extreme result, but even a slightly over carbonated beer effects the taste. For the most part,it will make it sharper, more acidic and "spritzy". So you can raise the prime rate, but only after you have tested a your current rate in a well conditioned beer (two months at room temp).
Sorry to ramble on. Ive been drinking.