Thumbs up for rehydrating yeast

I brewed a pilsner xtract kit today called for a 25 min. boil and after reading the pros and cons about rehydrating yeast last night I decided to try it. I followed the procedure I read where you rehydrate in a cup of tap water at arount 100 degrees F and after 30 min. start tempering it with your wart, it worked fantastic. I pitched a little after noon and at one oclock I had bubbbles. I left for a while and came home around 6 oclock and it's really going to town. I'v never had this much action from my airlock, I'v got a tube and bottle of water standing by. I hope it don't get too messy.

Im with you im on like 11 batches 10 all dry yeast. I hydrated my first 10th batch but didnt get much foam on top of the cup before pitching. But shure enough i had activity within 6 hrs compared to my 12-24 hrs.Also i had a quick ferment like more than normal like 2 full days then it was gone--hmm maybe it was a full moon also.
I also did a pilsner- a irish blonde.

rod734 said:

I brewed a pilsner xtract kit today called for a 25 min. boil and after reading the pros and cons about rehydrating yeast last night I decided to try it. I followed the procedure I read where you rehydrate in a cup of tap water at arount 100 degrees F and after 30 min. start tempering it with your wart, it worked fantastic. I pitched a little after noon and at one oclock I had bubbbles. I left for a while and came home around 6 oclock and it's really going to town. I'v never had this much action from my airlock, I'v got a tube and bottle of water standing by. I hope it don't get too messy.

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I put on a blowoff tube which was uneeded, and after 24 hrs it seems to be done. I guess I will wait a day or two and take a gravity reading.

In my experience, any of the yeasts I've tried from Fermentis (US-05, WB-06, S-33) have all taken off very quickly, usually within a few hours, and finish within a few days. I use their yeasts almost exclusively and love them.

jbrookeiv said:

In my experience, any of the yeasts I've tried from Fermentis (US-05, WB-06, S-33) have all taken off very quickly, usually within a few hours, and finish within a few days. I use their yeasts almost exclusively and love them.

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This kit came with a pkg of muntons yeast. I read on one of the threads that muntons was not considered very good yeast, it didn't say why. This was the most active fermination I'v ever had, but it only lasted about 24 to 30 hrs. Is it possable it could be done in that little time? I think I'll take a gravity reading on it tomarrow and have a taste just to see whats going on. In any case i will let it set for a few more days. I think I will then rack this right to a corny keg with some priming suger and let it condition for at least a couple wks befor cooling it. I'll bottle a couple clear test bottles to observe andtaste at maybe wk 1 and wk 2 after kegging.

I have made rehydration of yeast a usual part of my brewing. And in all of my brews, the vigorous, almost violent fermentation is over in about 48 hours. I've got an Irish Red going right now. Pitched the yeast Tuesday afternoon, and it's still bubbling, although not nearly as much as earlier. I'm using Nottingham yeast by Danstar. Anyway, back to the point: rehydration seems helpful to get fermentation started.

glenn514