Mort temperatures and yeast

This is my first time brewing.

After I made my mort I didn't have any way to cool it down. I had no ice in my freezer. I read that you weren't supposed to pitch the yeast until the mort was about 70 degrees. I also read that you should not wait more than 90 minutes before you pitch your yeast.

It took me a long time to cool my mort, about 2 and 1/2 hours. I pitched the yeast at about 84 degrees.

I don't understand why the directions for the yeast tell me for best results mix with water of 100 degrees, but at the same time it can be fatal to the yeast if you put it in the mort at above 80 degrees.

Well, it got put in in 2 and 1/2 hours at 84 degrees. It's a light beer. Do you think it will be okay? I appreciate any input. I spent one hundred dollars on my set-up today and would be mad if I ruined my first batch.

TDorty3 said:

This is my first time brewing.

After I made my mort I didn't have any way to cool it down. I had no ice in my freezer. I read that you weren't supposed to pitch the yeast until the mort was about 70 degrees. I also read that you should not wait more than 90 minutes before you pitch your yeast.

It took me a long time to cool my mort, about 2 and 1/2 hours. I pitched the yeast at about 84 degrees.

I don't understand why the directions for the yeast tell me for best results mix with water of 100 degrees, but at the same time it can be fatal to the yeast if you put it in the mort at above 80 degrees.

Well, it got put in in 2 and 1/2 hours at 84 degrees. It's a light beer. Do you think it will be okay? I appreciate any input. I spent one hundred dollars on my set-up today and would be mad if I ruined my first batch.

Click to expand...

I think you are having problems because you keep calling your WORT mort.

I'm not sure why the directions say to pitch with water of 100 degrees, because anything over 90 or so can be yesat fatal. If you pitched at 84 your yeasties will be fine. You should see bubbling in the airlock in the next 24 hours. Wait til your bubbles slow down to every couple of minutes, and rack to secondary. Sit. Wait.

Patience is key for new brewers!!!

You'll be drinking fine beer in a few weeks!

I am so embarassed. I don't know what I was thinking calling my wort... "mort". Maybe it was the few Honey Brown beers I was drinking before surfing the internet. I'm obviously a beginner.

But also, thanks for the reassuring input.

-tim

Perhaps Tim was thinking of the Belgian range of beers called Mort Subite

Roger

Lots of info floating around on pitching temps... I pitch at 70f. Pitching higher (I wouldn't go above 85 myself) would actually get the yeast to thriving faster but is reportedly responsible for off flavors in the beer. This combined with the fact that my fermenters usually run at 68-70 is why I chose 70 as my pitching temp.
The 90 minutes your kit refers to is an arbitrary number... You want to get it cooled off as quickly as possible so there is less chance of infection of the mort.... eerrrrr Wort . At boiling temps, the typical infectious germs / bacteria that enter the wort are killed off. When you pitch your yeast, the yeast is very strong and will most likely kill off these invaders therefore less chance of infection after pitching. Between these times, you beer is very susceptible to infection.
The 84f you pitched at should be ok. Welcome to the addictive hobby of home brewing!