Boil water before rehydrating yeast?

Hey folks. I always boil the water I use to rehydrate dry yeast. Does everybody? I ask, because I was looking at the canned starter, on Midwest Supplies. I noticed they recommend using one can of tap water to each can of wort. So, I chatted with a rep, and asked him about it. His response was that tap water is fine. So I asked why we boil the water (and cool iota course) when rehydrating yeast. His response was that that was an unnecessary step, and that most people don't. So I got curious. Am I waisting time boiling and cooling the water prior to rehydrating yeast?

Whenever I rehydrate, I don't boil it. I just use warm tap water. No problems yet from doing that.

I boil the water before rehydrating and wait for the temp to drop down between 95-105 before rehydrating. Just feels like the right thing to do.

I boil mine first and cool it before rehydrating. More because of the container I am using than the water.

I boil a little tap water.

For 1 pack of yeast I pour ~120ml in a sanitized beaker, cover with sanitized foil and allow it to cool in the freezer.

I then rehydrate as per the manufacturer's guidelines. The water temperature required will vary depending on yeast types. Ale and lager yeast having slightly differing temperature requirements.

Is it overkill to boil the water? Some would certainly view it as such citing plenty of anectotal evidence in support of not boiling. I don't view it that way, so I boil.

It is a quick & simple task and arguably more predictable.

To each their own.

I also sanitize the yeast pack and scissors used to open it.

I'm another that doesn't boil, no issues so far.

Throw it in the microwave till I see da bubbles, usually around 1 minute. Then freezer till 90ish, then rehydrate.

Wow! Thanks for all the replies. I am going to continue my boil routine. But... I see both sides of it. Thanks.

Mike

Horseshoot said:

Hey folks. I always boil the water I use to rehydrate dry yeast. Does everybody? I ask, because I was looking at the canned starter, on Midwest Supplies. I noticed they recommend using one can of tap water to each can of wort. So, I chatted with a rep, and asked him about it. His response was that tap water is fine. So I asked why we boil the water (and cool iota course) when rehydrating yeast. His response was that that was an unnecessary step, and that most people don't. So I got curious. Am I waisting time boiling and cooling the water prior to rehydrating yeast?

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Keep in mind that boiling the water isn't only for sanitation purposes, if you have chlorinated tap water, it'll boil out. If you have chloramines you'll need to treat the tap water, or use bottled. It may be unnecessary... But it's easy to do, so I always do it.

max384 said:

Keep in mind that boiling the water isn't only for sanitation purposes, if you have chlorinated tap water, it'll boil out. If you have chloramines you'll need to treat the tap water, or use bottled. It may be unnecessary... But it's easy to do, so I always do it.

Click to expand...

Good point. I now only brew with local spring water. But, as it is local water pulled directly from the spring, I feel boiling is probably even more important for me. But, luckily chlorine and chloramines are not an issue for me. After one nasty beer from chloramines, I will always use this spring water.

Mike

I don't bother boiling, I just use warm water directly from the tap. But I'm on city water, so it's pretty clean. There are chloramines in it, but for the small amount used to rehydrate yeast, I don't bother worrying about it.

I always nuke my well water to boiling for a couple minutes for yeast propagation purposes.
Seems like a small investment of effort to take any issues out of the equation...

Cheers!

Just after I start heating my boil, I just pour 100 ml of tap water into a clean mason jar and nuke it for 2 mins without the lid. I put the lid on and let it cool on the counter while I'm going through my boil. Once I have 15mins left in the boil I add the yeast packet to the mason jar to rehydrate. No issues thus far.

I always boil my water before re-hydrating yeast. It might be an 'unnecessary step', but better safe than sorry.

For dry yeast I just spray the yeast package and scissors with a little Star San then cut the package and dump the dry yeast right on top of my wort. I never have any off taste or slow starts. I think some of the dry yeast I purchase has those instructions.

I boil and then cool. Doesn't take very long for some peace of mind. I've been reusing yeast a lot lately so for building that back up I also boil my water.

I've done dry yeast onto wort, rehydrated with warm tap, and rehydrated with boiled cooled water. I've seen reductuon in lag and increased attenuation in each, but not by much.

My main concern is chlorine in the city water, and yeast having difficulty filtering intake during rehydration.