Rehydrating Dry Yeast

[SmoothSmoke]

Why is this so important? Also, I dont get it. You rehydrate for 15 minutes in 95F water? Why is it vastly different than pitching directly into the wort? Will it not get rehydrated in the wort itself?

Clueless here.

 

[unionrdr]

Re-hydrating the yeast gives it a head start toward the 1st stage,which is a reproductive phase before actual initial fermentation begins. In other words,less lag time between pitching & initial fermantation.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

The datasheet for nottingham indicates that pitching dry yeast into sterile tap water is preferred. iirc it actually specifies that you get fewer viable cells if you use distilled water, or if you try to feed it before it's fully rehydrated, or if you stir it before it's rehydrated.

They're pretty clear on it - sprinkle onto warm sterile water with minerals in it, wait 15 minutes, then stir, then pitch.

Oh, and they specify that if there is greater than 10 degrees difference in temperature between the yeast and the wort, you run the risk of "pygmy mutants" with the potential result of slow or incomplete fermentation.

My guess is that other dry ale yeasts have similar needs, but i haven't done further reading on that.

But for most beers under 1.060, pitching dry yeast directly into the wort seems to usually be good enough.

 

[opiate82]

I've used dry yeast twice, once on a 1.062 IPA and once on a 1.055 SMaSH and both times I just pitched dry yeast directly into the wort and both times my fermentation went great. Anecdotal, but my experience none-the-less.

 

[BeerBDrew]

I've tried the rehydrating thing a couple times on the recommendation of Jamil and others, but to me, the risk of contamination is just too high, and the steps too difficult for me to bother with anymore. In order to "properly" rehydrate the yeast, you must:

1) boil some water
2) cool it down to around 90 degrees
3) pour yeast in and stir
4) then, you must add a wee bit of wort at a time, in order to slowly drop the temp of the yeast solution. This must be done carefully and slowly, so as not to shock the yeast
5) pitch

Now, to me it's no. 4 that makes it too much trouble. Both times I tried this, it took so long to drop the temp I thought it too risky for infection sitting open the whole time. Plus, dry packets contain alot more cells than their liquid counterparts. Not to mention, Fermentis even tells you on their website that alternatively, you can sprinkle the yeast on top of the wort and shake it in.

Anecdotally, in my experience, I've achieved better results just dumping it in. Of course, the superior results can likely be attributed to me doing a better job of brewing those particular batches.

Anyway, my advice is to skip the rehydration bit and dump it in.

 

[jarrodaden]

My two cents... Next time use wyeast or white labs.

For this batch follow the dry yeast instructions.

 

[SmoothSmoke]

My two cents... Next time use wyeast or white labs.

For this batch follow the dry yeast instructions.

What batch are you talking about?? I was simply asking a question in regards to rehydrating yeast.

 

[amandabab]

I don't bother rehydrating anymore.

 

[eastoak]

Why is this so important? Also, I dont get it. You rehydrate for 15 minutes in 95F water? Why is it vastly different than pitching directly into the wort? Will it not get rehydrated in the wort itself?

Clueless here.

i'm not a yeast expert but what i understand is that as the yeast re hydrate in wort the have no control as to what enters their cell bodies and that is somehow bad - or fatal. re hydrating the yeast gives them a chance to get their cell walls to where they need to be. apparently enough yeast survives when sprinkled in wort to ferment the beer since even pro brewers dump the dry yeast right into the fermentors (this same question come up in the probrewers.com forum). i do both depending on how much time i have or if i remember to re hydrate.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

I really like the beers I make with US 05. I just add it straight from the packet to my fermentor and give it a good shake. Its worked fine every time.

 

[dfc]

I've rehydrated once. I've also made over 30 batches and used dry yeast more than 90% of the time. I always have great results just pitching the dry yeast directly into the wort.

 

[SmoothSmoke]

Thanks, I'm going to go give it a try on my next batch.

 

[Gixxer]

Hmmm I catch myself stirring the yeast in the water immediately instead of waiting for it to fully hydrate first. Guess I need to change that.