What would be the cause of a large yeast cake? I mean 2 gallons worth after 3 to 4 weeks of fermentation starting with 5.5 gallons. Doesn’t matter what yeast is used. Thinking it might be my fine crush on grain…but open to other explanation.
Very well could be… Its a direct relation to yeast health, nutrients and there ability to bud… Good O2 is among those… FAN ( free amino nitrogen) released from the mashing process… You should be a very happy… brewer? 
Sneezles61
Problem is I’ve recently started having a off flavor taste, similar to over carb taste, and I can’t pin point it. Basement is 65 degrees with yeast that is tolerant for those temperatures. Water hasn’t changed. I’ve tried changing water filter to no avail. Put campden tablet (1/4) before mash. 150 mash temperatures. Batch sparge.
City water?
Sneezles61
Yeah mon with camper water filter
I thought the campden tablet rate was at 1 per gallon… needs about 10 minutes to “gas off” the chloride…
Sneezles61
I thought it was 1/4 tablet for 5 gallons…maybe I need to off gas? Should I boil it?
All of the literature that I have seen says 1/2 tablet for 10 gallons, so yeah 1/4 tablet for five gallons.
Boiling the water releases the “temporary hardness”… Years ago it was sort of prescribed… But, it faded into obscurity… You’d have to cool it, then decant into another container…Then have it sit for an amount of time…
Crush your campden tablets, mix it in, then start heating to mash temp…
Your city water… Big Metropolis? Your water may not fluctuate as much… how much they put in to maintain the under ground pipes… A small town with fluctuations…
Sneezles61
I use one tab per 5 gallon batch (realizing this is above recommended dosage as I use roughly 8 gallons or so, depending on recipe and if I’m making a starter), split half for mash & half for sparge. Crush it up and dump it in before I take down to garage to heat.
Rad
Went looking… 1 tablet is more than enough for a 5 gallon batch…
Do you have a charcoal activated filter system?
Sneezles61
I have well water so haven’t had to mess with this but I don’t think the recommended amount is based upon final batch size. Between, absorption and boil off rates much. more than 5 gallons of water is used to produce 5 gallons of beer. I. would certainly err on the side of caution as @radagast prefers to do.
I can’t say I know what “over carbed” tastes like? I suppose increased carbonic acid is somewhat acrid? That would lead me to believe it’s either the chloride in your water or incorrect pH in the mash causing tannin extraction.
If you’re BIABing over crushing shouldn’t be much of an issue but could cause an increase in trub.
I forgot that whole side DannyBoy… pH… Wasn’t the advise years ago, not to collect wort under 1.007 for that exact reason? Protiens and tannins… Foggy brews with an astringent taste? And in that order…
Then this leads to the next question… water report from the municipality… They could/should report the pH…
Sneezles61
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Maybe it’s my batch sparging. I mash with 5 gallon and batch sparge with 2 gallons of water. My brews have been slightly cloudy. Or I could attribute my off flavor as hop oxidation (3 years) in freezer.
O2 is quite noticeable… Cardboard hopped brews…
And the older hops… well, I can’t comment on that… Sealed in a super sucker you may stand a chance its OK…
Sneezles61
I always thought it was 1.010? Maybe that’s just a conservative number. 3 year old hops in the freezer? I’d use em. probably have… Doubtful that’s your issue. They’d just be less effective.
@Sgwink do you check pH of your mash? Do you have a municipal water report for your water?
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Wheres Denny? When you need a well know fact checker, he’s out recording a podcast… 
Sneezles61
That should be pretty accurate if the source is consistent year round. What’s the advertised pH of your water?
