Some Beginner Questions

First off, let me begin by saying this is a great site. I started brewing a little over a year ago and this site has some great information. You guys do a great job.

Since I still consider myself a beginner, I'm still brewing beer kits with all the ingredients/recipes already assembled. I've brewed a few batches since I first started, and have come up with a couple of questions based on my experiences. I'm trying to get the basics down so I can move on to creating my own recipes and eventually move on to All-Grain brewing.

1. What's the best way to add/pitch the yeast? I have read of several different techniques used to add the yeast to the wort. I've read about 1) Adding yeast to luke warm glass of water, stirring, and letting sit for several minutes before adding to the yeast 2) Boiling water, letting cool to 95degF, adding yeast and sugar (to ensure it is alive) and then adding to wort and 3) simply sprinkling the yeast on top of the wort. What's the best way? Do you need to "prepare" the yeast before adding?

2. Primary vs. Secondary? I've already found plenty of info on this site that helped out with this question. Thanks

3. What's the best way to prime the beer for bottling? How long should I wait after priming agent has been added before I start bottling? Of the batches that I've brewed up to this point, the one consistent problem I've come across is low carbonation. I've never been able to get good carbonation. I've read about several different techniques used to add the priming sugar and was wondering what techniques are most common. I have been simply adding the priming sugar by gently stirring it into the wort and immediately start bottling. Should I be waiting 1/2 hr before bottling?

Thanks in advance.

Hello!
I am no expert, but my three cents are:
1. rehydrate dry yeast in cooled, boiled (and therefore sanitary) water prior to pitching or just sprinkle. don't use tap water that has not been boiled...just takes too many chances of infection to my mind.

2. Well, you probably got more than you bargained for on that one. I secondary, but then I am just doing what I have always done, not really thinking it through.

3. Priming for bottling using corn sugar or something similar, I would consult howtobrew.com and see what Palmer thinks about amounts of sugar for volume of beer and desired carbonation levels. I generally boil a pint of water with my corn sugar and then let it cool in the pan while I prepare everything else for bottling. Dump the cooled sugar solution into the bottom of the (sanitized) bottling bucket, then siphon the beer on top of it. When done siphoning, gently (but thoroughly!) stir then bottle away. BTW, the temperature of where the bottles rest while conditioning can come into play. Best in my experience if the ambient temp is no lower than 65*F and probably no higher than 75*F (I generally keep it somewhere near 68 if I

bigtau said:

1. What's the best way to add/pitch the yeast? I have read of several different techniques used to add the yeast to the wort. I've read about 1) Adding yeast to luke warm glass of water, stirring, and letting sit for several minutes before adding to the yeast 2) Boiling water, letting cool to 95degF, adding yeast and sugar (to ensure it is alive) and then adding to wort and 3) simply sprinkling the yeast on top of the wort. What's the best way? Do you need to "prepare" the yeast before adding?

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Whether or not to rehydrate dry yeast is dependent on the recommendation of the manufacturer and your own experience.

Danstar/Lallemand (makers of Nottingham, Windsor, etc.), for example, specifically recommends rehydrating their dry yeasts before pitching into the wort. Fermentis (makers of S-04, US-05, etc.) also instructs us to rehydrate, and their protocol differs.

Further, you may find, like me, that simply sprinkling the dry yeast on the wort and then stirring vigorously serves to both mix in the yeast and aerate the wort.

I don't think there is a "best" way. You'll find the way which works best for you. That might be strictly following the manufacturer's protocol, just ripping open the packet with your teeth and dumping it, or somewhere in between.

(Note: At no time should you add sugar to a preparation of dry brewer's yeast. Save that technique for bread, where it belongs.)

3. What's the best way to prime the beer for bottling? How long should I wait after priming agent has been added before I start bottling? Of the batches that I've brewed up to this point, the one consistent problem I've come across is low carbonation. I've never been able to get good carbonation. I've read about several different techniques used to add the priming sugar and was wondering what techniques are most common. I have been simply adding the priming sugar by gently stirring it into the wort and immediately start bottling. Should I be waiting 1/2 hr before bottling?

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Do no wait. The yeast still in suspension will immediately begin to metabolize the added sugars, defeating the purpose of adding them.

Do you transfer to a bottling bucket before packaging? The standard method is to boil a small amount of water with the measured priming sugar. Add that solution to your clean and sanitized bottling bucket and rack the beer from the fermenter to the bottling bucket. The motion of the beer flowing into the bottling bucket is sufficient to fully disperse the sugar solution into the beer.

The other method I've successfully used is the bags of carbonation drops.

Bob

bigtau said:

1. What's the best way to add/pitch the yeast? I have read of several different techniques used to add the yeast to the wort. I've read about 1) Adding yeast to luke warm glass of water, stirring, and letting sit for several minutes before adding to the yeast 2) Boiling water, letting cool to 95degF, adding yeast and sugar (to ensure it is alive) and then adding to wort and 3) simply sprinkling the yeast on top of the wort. What's the best way? Do you need to "prepare" the yeast before adding?

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I believe that all of the manufacturers recommend that you rehydrate dry yeast. You can certianly do that if you want to but from my experience it is not necessary. I just open the pack and sprinkle it on dry. I did a beer last Saturday - pitched dry Nottingham right out of the packet - that started at 1.055 and 3 days later it was at 1.005. With Nottingham I don't believe that rehydration is necessary.

bigtau said:

3. What's the best way to prime the beer for bottling? How long should I wait after priming agent has been added before I start bottling? Of the batches that I've brewed up to this point, the one consistent problem I've come across is low carbonation. I've never been able to get good carbonation. I've read about several different techniques used to add the priming sugar and was wondering what techniques are most common. I have been simply adding the priming sugar by gently stirring it into the wort and immediately start bottling. Should I be waiting 1/2 hr before bottling?

Click to expand...

Using Dextrose has worked best for me. Boil it for 5 minutes in some water (can't recall how much water atm... I don't bottle much anymore), let it cool, put it into your bottling bucket, then rack your beer on top of it. I've never waited any longer than it takes for the priming solution to cool before I start bottling. Regardless of how you choose to add the priming solution the main objective is to ensure that it is mixed in properly with your beer to get even carbonation throughout. (Yes, beer. If you're bottling that means fermentation has completed and it's not wort anymore, it's beer. :rockin: )

If your beers are undercarbonated, you could always use a program like Beersmith to calculate the amount of priming sugar that you need and adjust the amount accordingly.

Thanks in advance.[/quote]

I've heard Jamil say that he rehydrates his yeast simply because the instructions that the yeast manufacturers give the pros say to do that, while the instructions for the home users don't. If it's good enough for the pros, then it's good enough for us.

Plus, rehydrating in water gives the cells a chance to build the cell walls properly before any foreign material can invade, or weaken the cells. A few minutes (10-15 I think) is usually all it takes for the cells to fill with water and build their walls.

Boil a pint or so of water, then cool to pitching temp. Pitch yeast onto boiled and cooled water. Stir and cover. Wait 15 minutes and then add to fermenter with wort at proper pitching temp.