Distilled water for rehydrate

[galagonya]

I usually use Safale US-05 dry yeast. Till now always rehydrate with boiled tap water and had fermentation signs in 12 hours.
This time I used destilled water, 20 hours past and there is no fermentation sign. I just read that destilled water is lethal to yeast as it needs some minerals when rehydrate.
This means that my yeast was totally killed and I need to repitch or just give more time ?

 

[brewfreeordie]

For the first couple minutes re-hydrating yeast can't control their outer membrane. Compounded with the fact distilled water has no minerals to slow it down it will then rush in and bursts the cell.

Distilled water kills cells. The osmotic pressure is too great.

 

[Calder]

I use distilled water to store my yeasts. Supposedly it makes the yeast go dormant due to the lack of enzymes. I've never heard that it kills yeast.

It seems to work fine for me. I recently woke up a couple of samples that had been stored with distilled water for 2 years.

For the OP, I wouldn't have thought it would have been a problem, but I don't know.

 

[eastoak]

Dr Clayton Cone (yeast expert)

"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"

 

[BigFloyd]

I usually use Safale US-05 dry yeast. Till now always rehydrate with boiled tap water and had fermentation signs in 12 hours.
This time I used destilled water, 20 hours past and there is no fermentation sign. I just read that destilled water is lethal to yeast as it needs some minerals when rehydrate.
This means that my yeast was totally killed and I need to repitch or just give more time ?

Distilled water may well have caused a problem, but I'd give it another 24 hours before re-pitching. I always use filtered water from my fridge dispenser, boiled, and cooled to 90-92*F for rehydration. It works like a champ. I also adjust my yeast temp (which is always higher after the 15/5 time) if needed before pitching by adding small amounts of the cooler wort, stir and let sit for a few minutes, and do it again until I'm within the magic 10 degrees.

BTW - What kind of fermentation sign are you looking for?

 

[galagonya]

Distilled water may well have caused a problem, but I'd give it another 24 hours before re-pitching. I always use filtered water from my fridge dispenser, boiled, and cooled to 90-92*F for rehydration. It works like a champ. I also adjust my yeast temp (which is always higher after the 15/5 time) if needed before pitching by adding small amounts of the cooler wort, stir and let sit for a few minutes, and do it again until I'm within the magic 10 degrees.

BTW - What kind of fermentation sign are you looking for?

I waited 10 more hours but still had no airlock activity or krausen forming started.
I re-pitched with 2/3 pack and now it's looking good, nice krausen had formed and the airlock is bubbeling.
Courious how the beer will end up.