Brewers Best Imperial Blonde Extract Kit a Question

[Vegetarisk]

Hey all,

I am trying out the Brewers Best Imperial Blonde extract kit for my second brew and something in the instructions seems odd to me. The instructions call for NOT rehydrating the dry yeast before pitching. Not sure what harm rehydrating before pitching would do, but maybe there's something I'm missing?

 

[Wolfbrau]

Could be a couple of things.

First, rehydration is not an entirely settled issue. There are reports from very reputable brewers that not rehydrating cuts the cell count in half. Makes logical sense. But then you have others doing taste tests on the finished products who can't discern a difference. See the article by James Spencer and Chris Colby in the December, 2011 issue of BYO.

Second, many kits assume the worst. If a kit doesn't turn out, that's a bad thing. So direct pitching gives more room for error from a kit designer's standpoint. After all, they want 100% of their customers to make drinkable beer, not 50% making world-class beer with the other 50% utterly failing.

FWIW, I always rehydrate in 100F pre-boiled water for 15 minutes. I guess I'm supersticious.

 

[flars]

Here is a link to rehydration from the Fermentis site.
http://www.brewwithfermentis.com/tips-tricks/yeast-rehydration/

Dry yeast producers have rehydration information in their web sites. Quite often the instructions with packaged brew ingredients will be different. I go with the manufacturers information.

 

[Vegetarisk]

Thanks for the information. I just used their russian imperial stout kit and rehyrdrated the yeast before pitching with no fermentation issues. The instructions for that one simply stated to pitch the yeast dry, but the imperial blonde kit clearly stated "DO NOT REHYDRATE BEFORE PITCHING"

Oddly enough the yeast packet included was Fermentis safale us-05 which states on the package to pitch dry, but the manufacturers website advises to rehydrate (?)

Must just be poor kit instructions. One more question though, does 11.5g of dry yeast sound like enough for the O.G. of around 1.071?

 

[elreplica]

I brewed the BBIBA and followed the instructions to a "T" - excepting the direct pitch. It turned out well. I then had a beersmith clone the recipe for half the price and it was even better! In both cases I rehydrated the US Safale 05 and there were absolutely no issues. In my second try, it did take longer (still in process) to bottle condition carb the beer as I used a little two much dextrose first time. Hoppy and herbal at 8.4% ABV it will warm the innards on some cool fall nights.

 

[slayerextreme]

not trying to jack the thread...but can you please post the BBIBA Clone recipe...and possibly share where you got the ingredients if online....sounds great...especially the 8.4 abv !!!!!!

 

[Vegetarisk]

The receipe/ingredients are online http://www.brewersbestkits.com/pdf/1052 2013 Imperial Blonde Ale Recipe.pdf. Should be pretty easy to piece together the ingredients at your LHBS or most online brew supply stores.