Putting the yeast in light wort (1.020) 5 hrs before pitching to wake it up properly

[Elysium]

I am kind of considering waking up the yeast so that it would be ready and active for fermentation when I pitch it. I think this would be a good way to give it a headstart against possible wild yeast in the wort.
I dont really have access to DME/LME, so I will just use MO and create a 1.020 wort, celeaning/sanitizing properly all the equipment.

I am not trying to create a starter, nor propogate the yeast. My idea is to shorten the lagtime so that the yeast wouldnt have to compete with anything in the wort and would have a nice headstart. Shortenning the lagtime means that it would happen in a small 700 ml vessel, while I am brewing the 5-gallon main wort.

My idea is to rehydrate the yeast properly and 5 hours before pitching and put it in about 700 ml wort and then pitch it into the 5-gallon main wort once I have finished brewing.

Is this a good idea at all? I actually got the idea from a podcast that I heard from Jamil here
http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/...unday-Session-09-04-05-Jamil-and-Fermentation

Jamil says he prepares yeast for fermentation this way.....and I am just wondering if it is really that good.

 

[Psycotte]

I thought this was a bad idea with dry yeast because they are dried with optimal nutritional reserves. Palmer describes "Proofing yeast with sugar" but makes a point to note that Lallemand/Danstar advise against this. The proofing is a 30 minute test and not 5 - hours. I am no fermentation expert but I defer to Palmer on this one and advise against stressing re-hydrated yeast.


From How to Brew:

Re-hydrating Dry Yeast
1. Put 1 cup of warm (95-105F, 35-40C) boiled water into a sanitized jar and stir in the yeast. Cover with Saran Wrap and wait 15 minutes.
2. "Proof" the yeast by adding one teaspoon of extract or sugar that has been boiled in a small amount of water. Allow the sugar solution to cool before adding it to the jar.
3. Cover and place in a warm area out of direct sunlight.
4. After 30 minutes or so the yeast should be visibly churning and/or foaming, and is ready to pitch.


Note: Lallemand/Danstar does not recommend proofing after rehydration of their yeast because they have optimized their yeast's nutrional reserves for quick starting in the main wort. Proofing expends some of those reserves.

 

[brew_ny]

My idea is to rehydrate the yeast properly

if you are talking about re-hydrating a dry yeast there is no need to do this

all that it needs is in the package rehydrate for 30 minutes and pitch and you are good to go

if I am reusing yeast I use some of my preboil wort and let it work for the time it takes

to do my boil and chilling and then pitch my yeast

but whatever you do good luck and let us know how it works out for you

S_M

 

[Elysium]

I thought this was a bad idea with dry yeast because they are dried with optimal nutritional reserves. Palmer describes "Proofing yeast with sugar" but makes a point to note that Lallemand/Danstar advise against this. The proofing is a 30 minute test and not 5 - hours. I am no fermentation expert but I defer to Palmer on this one and advise against stressing re-hydrated yeast.


From How to Brew:

The dry yeast reserves wont be used up...but put to a good use. Why should the yeast spend hours in lag phase in the fermentor while it can already happen in a small 700 ml bottle while you are brewing? The yeast is rehydrated, then poured into a light wort to kick start its life-cycle, then poured into the 5-gallon wort after 5 hours to do its job (basically it continues what it has already started in a smaller vessel). Meaning the yeast can actively start fermenting as soon as it is pitched into the 5-gallon wort. Listen to this podcast. I think it is a brilliant idea....but I am wondering if anyone has ever done/tried it.

 

[beersk]

if I am reusing yeast I use some of my preboil wort and let it work for the time it takes

to do my boil and chilling and then pitch my yeast



S_M

I've done this when brewing lagers. I'll take half quart of the boiled and cooled wort, put it in a half gallon growler with my harvested yeast and let it get going while the rest of the wort is chilling in the chest freezer to come down to pitching temp. That is usually over night or for something like 8 hours. Works pretty nicely.

 

[Odin_Brews]

Im curious about this idea. I will say that you definetly want to rehydrate prior to putting in wort. Ive read somewhere that rehydrating in water is crucial to the dry yeast building up cell walls and basically getting themselves back in shape. After that I'd think you could put it in wort without any ill effects, in fact waking them up to a lower og wort prior to pitching into a stronger wort seems to me would be less stressful on the yeast. Nonetheless I look forward to see what others think as well.

 

[insanim8er]

A) I'm sure it'll make beer
B) sounds like another one of those big debated topic
C) I'm positive it'll make beer
D) appears you already made your mind up
E) you'll end up with beer

 

[TheZymurgist]

A) I'm sure it'll make beer
B) sounds like another one of those big debated topic
C) I'm positive it'll make beer
D) appears you already made your mind up
E) you'll end up with beer

Yep. 'D' especially.

 

[insanim8er]

Yep. 'D' especially.

Ya.. It's again one of those debated things that never gets an answer. I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

Those who do it, swears by it. Those who don't, swear by it. And those who don't care, swear at those who debate it.

Now let's make beer