Aeration with dry yeast

Hey all,

My next brewday, hopefully tomorrow, I'll be using dry yeast for the first time. I've heard great things about us05.

In my daily reading of HBT, I ran across a post that indicated I didn't need to aerate the wort when using dry yeast. That sounded improbable to me, and a search of the archives didn't really tell me very much.

So what's the straight dope on aerating with dry yeast? I'm inclined to aerate anyway, because I can't see how it would hurt, but I'm curious.

I have been using us-05 since day 1 of brewing. Havent changed yeast yet.
Very forgiveing in temp range. 60-75.

Basicly what i have done is, After you pitch your yeast, Dunk my hand into sanitiser, Put hand on top the the carboy and rock it back in forth mixing the yeast with the wort till i count to 10. Slap a blow off tube or airlock on it. Done.

Cant say enough about this yeast, Done many differnt styles and all ranging in differnt OG and it might have taken a week + a few days to get all the ferment done....But it chugs along and does a great job. I know there is brewerys that useing nothing but us-05 in all there beers, so i dont think you could ask for better considering the price. If you wash your yeast...Even cheaper...

Hope this helps

Always aerate to your best ability before pitching the yeast. The yeasties love it.

Yeah, I'll be aerating with my paint stirrer on my cordless drill. Works wonderfully.

Plus, I'll be washing. I'm trying to minimize my per-brewday cost as much as possible. I wanna go to Mid Country Malt in Chi-town and pick up a bag of 2-row, wash yeast, buy hops from hopsdirect.com, and get specialty grains from my LHBS. I figure if I can get down to maybe $15-$20 for 5-gallon batches I'll be golden.

HomerJR said:

Yeah, I'll be aerating with my paint stirrer on my cordless drill. Works wonderfully.

Plus, I'll be washing. I'm trying to minimize my per-brewday cost as much as possible. I wanna go to Mid Country Malt in Chi-town and pick up a bag of 2-row, wash yeast, buy hops from hopsdirect.com, and get specialty grains from my LHBS. I figure if I can get down to maybe $15-$20 for 5-gallon batches I'll be golden.

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You will get flack from people about the cost-cutting exercises, but you are speaking my language. For me, cost cutting is an interesting part of the hobby.

Evidently there is some info on Danstar's website that indicates you don't need to aerate dry yeast...there's supposedly sufficient stuff in the yeast cells already. But honestly you have to consider the source. We're talking about Danstar here, the makers of Nottingham with it's notorious tendency to suffer the 1.020 curse.

So honestly, I'm going to take that info with a grain of salt....I will aerate and not stop doing so....I feel that it can't hurt if you do it, it could only help....

Plus, I have never been happy with the results Notty or Windsor, and use Fermentis dry yeast for the majority of my beers...I'd say I use US-05 for about 90% of my beers.

And this is what it says on their website;

Oxygen is required to assure a healthy cell multiplication. Oxygenation is
either made by top filling and splashing wort against the wall of the
fermenter, aeration or direct oxygen injection. It is usually recommended
to make the oxygenation on cooled wort. At this stage hygiene is essential
since bacteria may develop during the aeration. Oxygen should only be
added in the first twelve hours of fermentation (9 ppm). Adding oxygen
during late fermentation will increase aldehyde levels and amplify diacetyl
formation. High levels of oxygen will suppress ester production. It has been
noticed that oxygen can increase SO² concentrations in some worts.

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BTW, this PDF. from them is great info for people. http://www.fermentis.com/FO/pdf/Tips-Tricks.pdf

HomerJR said:

Yeah, I'll be aerating with my paint stirrer on my cordless drill. Works wonderfully.

Plus, I'll be washing. I'm trying to minimize my per-brewday cost as much as possible. I wanna go to Mid Country Malt in Chi-town and pick up a bag of 2-row, wash yeast, buy hops from hopsdirect.com, and get specialty grains from my LHBS. I figure if I can get down to maybe $15-$20 for 5-gallon batches I'll be golden.

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Biermuncher is a fan of washing and harvesting his dry yeast....but remember, next time you use it you treat it like LIQUID YEAST, and if not pitching directly on top of a cake, then you need to treat it like liquid and make a starter.

Consider the purpose of aeration....you want to get O2 into the wort that the yeast can use to synthesize sterols, which they use to build cells walls for cell growth. But when you pitch dry yeast, you pitch so many cells that little growth is needed. So, you don't really need to aerate, or aerate as much, when using dry yeast. But it certainly won't hurt, either.

Revvy said:

Biermuncher is a fan of washing and harvesting his dry yeast....but remember, next time you use it you treat it like LIQUID YEAST, and if not pitching directly on top of a cake, then you need to treat it like liquid and make a starter.

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Duly noted, Revvy.

S-05 is made by Fermentis. Follow their instructions for pitching and consider this from their website regarding aeration:

7/ Does the wort need Oxygenation/ aeration?
As the yeast is grown aerobically, the yeast is less sensitive on first pitch. Aeration is recommended to ensure full mixing of the wort and yeast.

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I take my brew pot spoon and whip the snot out of the cooled wort for a few minutes before pitching. I always re-hydrate the Safale just to proof it. (So I know it's ok)

I think it's a great GP yeast.

Denny said:

But when you pitch dry yeast, you pitch so many cells that little growth is needed. So, you don't really need to aerate, or aerate as much, when using dry yeast. But it certainly won't hurt, either.

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+1 Denny, I have had good results not bothering to aerate when pitching dry. I do aerate when repitching a slurry.

wilserbrewer said:

+1 Denny, I have had good results not bothering to aerate when pitching dry. I do aerate when repitching a slurry.

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That's my practice and experience as well. HOWEVER, I'm sure aeration for even dry yeast can't hurt, so if someone's leary of not aerating, they should go ahead and do it.

I will always add pure O2 no matter what type of yeast I use.

I read a thread at the beer tools pro forum that provides a counter argument for extra or needless aeration. Here is the quote and a link:

3) Wort Aeration:

If possible, don't! The reason is that it is not the wort that needs the oxygen, it is the yeast. By oxgenating the wort instead of the yeast starter, it will cause an over production of cells due to the excessive oxygen presence. This then leads to the production of unwanted esters and higher alcohols that will compromise beer flavor.

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http://www.beertools.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1252

He goes on to say that you should aerate your starter using an aquarium pump, however I have also heard that an aquarium pump is not very effective in adding extra oxygen, so I am not sure how accurate his statement is, but it got me thinking.

Good topic. I just made a Double IPA with Safale US-05 last weekend. I aerated the hell out of the wort by pouring it back and forth. Is it possible to over-aerate the wort? Can it do any damage?

Wit wort it is never a worry to over aerate. That's what this discussion is sort of about. Until fermentation begins, there's no such thing as too much oxygen. Kinda like with sanitation...there's never too much sanitization.

Revvy said:

Wit wort it is never a worry to over aerate. That's what this discussion is sort of about. Until fermentation begins, there's no such thing as too much oxygen. Kinda like with sanitation...there's never too much sanitization.

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I've read that oxygenation with pure O2 via tank and aeration stone CAN produce excessive O2, but that whipping the wort with a spoon, paint stirrer, or by tipping or shaking the fermenter, really cannot over-oxygenate. There was an article (I forget where) that discussed gas solubility, suggesting that O2 from a tank should be used carefully. I've used O2 before, but frankly the bottles are just one extra expense that I don't find necessary.

The yeast manufacturer already aerated the slurry, already built up the cell count, already performed a lag phase before dehydrating the yeast for sale to you. If yeasts have a quorum in a culture, they will start consuming sugars. I believe that if you aerate, you stimulate the rehydrated cells to go back to square one and begin a lag phase, budding out, and building cell walls, and building up a cell count that is more than you need. But, what is the harm? You can't really over pitch a homebrew, can you? I rehydrate, but don't aerate any more than splashing while racking from the boil pot to the fermenter.

mdennytoo said:

The yeast manufacturer already aerated the slurry, already built up the cell count, already performed a lag phase before dehydrating the yeast for sale to you. If yeasts have a quorum in a culture, they will start consuming sugars. I believe that if you aerate, you stimulate the rehydrated cells to go back to square one and begin a lag phase, budding out, and building cell walls, and building up a cell count that is more than you need. But, what is the harm? You can't really over pitch a homebrew, can you? I rehydrate, but don't aerate any more than splashing while racking from the boil pot to the fermenter.

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Nicely put, but 6 years too late for this thread.