First time using dry yeast

[boomtown25]

I am brewing with dry yeast for the first time this week. Once I pitch into carboy do I want to shake up the carboy to mix the yeast in good or leave it alone to do its own dance?

 

[MalFet]

It's generally a good idea to rehydrate the yeast in some clean warm water first, but in any case you really won't need to do anything to mix it up.

 

[tvtoms]

I've done both and not noticed a difference. I sprinkled Nottingham on top and left it there last time and it worked really good.

 

[boomtown25]

cool. im using notty as well

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

cool. im using notty as well

Notty's a good yeast. As long as your wort's aerated some, you should be find just sprinkling it on top.

 

[tvtoms]

It was my first time using Nottingham. The yeast cake was more like cement on the bottom and I didn't use any whirlfloc or anything else, so I was really happy.

 

[organ]

I rock the carboy to aerate the wort and then pitch. I don't rehydrate either.

 

[usfmikeb]

I always rehydrate, using a bit of the preboil wort.

 

[rycov]

I always rehydrate, using a bit of the preboil wort.

is that safe? adding something un sanitized to your beer?

 

[usfmikeb]

Sorry, should have said that I use a bit of the pre hops wort! Yes, boil it first!

 

[rycov]

oh ok. kinda like a mini starter.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I just sprinkle. (Prostate problem maybe?)

I don't rehydrate, it doesn't seem to help anything and just makes it a little easier to introduce an infection with the added process.

 

[jonmohno]

I want whats best for the yeast so i rehydrate then add some cooled wort once it hits 75 ish then pitch around 65.Pitching direct seems to work as well, but this has just the way ive been doing it lately.I think ill dry pitch next time maybe,hmm pretty indiferrnet, here, try for yourself. Last 15 min i usually boil some water then cool enough in a small ice bath then hydrate my yeast around 90 deg. Doesnt hurt a thing and you have time while starring at your boil last 15 min.
And by the time you hit 75 with your wort you add some to it then further cool the wort as far as using the ice bath method of cooling.

 

[birvine]

I rehydrate Nott and it seems to work well for me.

B

 

[MalFet]

I present to you...SCIENCE!

Every strain of yeast has its own optimum rehydration temperature - all of them range between 95 F to 105F (most of them closer to 105°F). The dried yeast cell wall is fragile and it is the first few minutes (possibly seconds) of rehydration that the warm temperature is critical while it is reconstituting its cell wall structure. As you drop the initial temperature of the water from 95 to 85 or 75 or 65F the yeast leached out more and more of its insides damaging the each cell. The yeast viability also drops proportionally. At 95 - 105 F, there is 100% recovery of the viable dry yeast. At 60F, there can be as much as 60% dead cells. The water should be tap water with the normal amount of hardness present. The hardness is essential for good recovery: 250 -500 ppm hardness is ideal. This means that deionized or distilled water should not be used. Ideally, the warm rehydration water should contain about 0.5 - 1.0% yeast extract.

For the initial few minutes (perhaps seconds) of rehydration, the yeast cell wall cannot differentiate what passes through the wall. Toxic materials like sprays, hops, SO2 and sugars in high levels, that the yeast normally can selectively keep from passing through its cell wall rush right in and seriously damage the cells. The moment that the cell wall is properly reconstituted, the yeast can then regulate what goes in and out of the cell. That is why we hesitate to recommend rehydration in wort or must. Very dilute wort seems to be OK.

We recommend that the rehydrated yeast be added to the wort within 30 minutes. We have built into each cell a large amount of glycogen and trehalose that give the yeast a burst of energy to kick off the growth cycle when it is in the wort. It is quickly used up if the yeast is rehydrated for more than 30 minutes. There is no damage done here if it is not immediately add to the wort. You just do not get the added benefit of that sudden burst of energy. We also recommend that you attemperate the rehydrated yeast to with in 15F of the wort before adding to the wort. Warm yeast into a cold wort will cause many of the yeast to produce petite mutants that will never grow or ferment properly and will cause them to produce H2S. The attemperation can take place over a very brief period by adding, in increments, a small amount of the cooler wort to the rehydrated yeast.

Many times we find that warm water is added to a very cold container that drops the rehydrating water below the desired temperature. Sometimes refrigerated, very cold, dry yeast is added directly to the warm water with out giving it time to come to room temperature. The initial water entering the cell is then cool.

One very important factor that the distributor and beer maker should keep in mind is that Active Dry Yeast is dormant or inactive and not inert, so keep refrigerated at all times. Do not store in a tin roofed warehouse that becomes an oven or on a window sill that gets equally hot.

Active Dry Yeast looses about 20% of its activity in a year when it is stored at 75 F and only 4% when refrigerated.

From Dr. Clayton Cone, Danstar
rec.crafts.brewing (03/03/03)

 

[TwoGunz]

I believe in science! Great post.

 

[jonmohno]

Thanks malfet, Im definatly going to try this next. So basically this is saying hydrate yeast at 95 pitch at 70? Within 30 min

 

[rycov]

I just sprinkle. (Prostate problem maybe?)

I don't rehydrate, it doesn't seem to help anything and just makes it a little easier to introduce an infection with the added process.

that's what I do ( mines not from prostate problems, it's cuz I pinch the end of it)

I also read some sciency looking thing that was saying it's better to NOT rehydrate, buti don't remember which thread. I do know for a fact that both ways work, and I can't tell that either way makes a difference in quality in my beers.

 

[lumpher]

i don't rehydrate usually, and i always use dry yeast. had a porter start popping saturday within 2 hours with windsor (notoriously a slow-starting yeast)

 

[MalFet]

that's what I do ( mines not from prostate problems, it's cuz I pinch the end of it)

I also read some sciency looking thing that was saying it's better to NOT rehydrate, buti don't remember which thread. I do know for a fact that both ways work, and I can't tell that either way makes a difference in quality in my beers.

Let us know if you ever find the research backing that up. I'd be curious to read it, because I've never heard anything along those lines.

 

[TwoGunz]

I think malfet's post makes sense but I am a big believer that if you can't taste the difference in any technique in your own process that creates extra work... Don't do it!

 

[rycov]

I wish I remembered. I've seen the info that you just put up before, and it always made sense. then I read this other thing that seemed pretty valid too. it wasn't really contradicting what you posted. it was a different reason all together. I'll see if I can find it

 

[rycov]

@ malfet,
I looked for it, but I couldn't find it. maybe I'm making it up, but I'm pretty sure there was a reason ( a good reason? maybe, maybe not). it's late and I'm going to bed, if I find it I'll post it back here or pm you

 

[MalFet]

@ malfet,
I looked for it, but I couldn't find it. maybe I'm making it up, but I'm pretty sure there was a reason ( a good reason? maybe, maybe not). it's late and I'm going to bed, if I find it I'll post it back here or pm you

No worries. Thanks for the effort!

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I think malfet's post makes sense but I am a big believer that if you can't taste the difference in any technique in your own process that creates extra work... Don't do it!

This is my reasoning too. I'm in NO way saying that re-hydrating is a waste of time, but for me, my methods etc. it is an extra chance to infect for no discernible difference in the final brew (Usually ordinary bitter) Hell, I would never knock anyone for following the proven and established method. It's just not for me and my own method.