Dry yeast rehydration - stir plate to free my hands - good idea??

[suitbrewing]

In an effort to push the dry yeast re hydration out of the busy end of boil - wort cooling time I have tried the following alternative routine:

1) Re hydrated the yeast during mashing (per the yeast labs instructions).
2) Following the first manual stir of the yeast (20 minutes after sprinkling the yeast) I placed the yeast slurry on my stir plate and left it there (covered with sanitised foil) until pitching time (2-3 hours later).

If I was not to use the stir plate I would have to occasionally (every 5-10 minutes) stir the yeast slurry manually.

The fact that the instructions call for occasional stirring imply that some oxygen is beneficial.
Could the stir plate be introducing too much oxygen?? Does it matter??

 

[PurpleJeepXJ]

I frequently use the stir plate to get my dry yeast started. Typically I start dry yeast 4-12 hrs before brew time. I do not see an issue with your method as it is very similar to mine.

 

[505-Brewer]

Did you feed it wort or just leave it in the rehydration water? Once hydrated you want to feed it or pitch it:

http://www.scottlab.com/uploads/documents/downloads/59/YeastRehydration_Lallemand.pdf

Of course whats ideal and what works in practice are not necc the same.

 

[PurpleJeepXJ]

Yes you have to feed it something.

 

[Puddlethumper]

In an effort to push the dry yeast re hydration out of the busy end of boil - wort cooling time I have tried the following alternative routine:

1) Re hydrated the yeast during mashing (per the yeast labs instructions).
2) Following the first manual stir of the yeast (20 minutes after sprinkling the yeast) I placed the yeast slurry on my stir plate and left it there (covered with sanitised foil) until pitching time (2-3 hours later).

If I was not to use the stir plate I would have to occasionally (every 5-10 minutes) stir the yeast slurry manually.

The fact that the instructions call for occasional stirring imply that some oxygen is beneficial.
Could the stir plate be introducing too much oxygen?? Does it matter??

You didn't mention the strain of yeast you are using but to follow the manufacturer's recommended procedures for rehydrating US-05 you should rehydrate for 15 minutes and then gently stir for 30 minutes. See the following
http://www.fermentis.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/SFA_US05.pdf To follow their recommendations you are probably leaving it on the stirplate for too long. I also use a stir plate and typically start rehydration about the same time as last hop addition. This allows approx. 45 minutes for the rehydration process. If you are using another strain of yeast then I'd suggest you follow the timing recommended by the manufacturer for that strain,

But as said above, what is ideal and what works in practice are probably different things. How much difference it all makes in the end is up for a debate I'm not educated enough to pursue. IMO, if it works for you then go for it.

 

[suitbrewing]

Thanks all for your feedback

My latest brew was a Vienna Lager.
The yeast strain is Mangroves M76 Munich Lager.

To answer the question above, I did not feed the yeast. Per the comments above it seems that my 3 hour re hydration was not a good idea (starving yeast).

Do I have any quick and easy options for feeding the yeast without adding more work to my brew day??

Also form the comments above, I take it that there is nothing wrong with using the stir plate to free my hands, and that is more the timing of my rehydration, if anything that would stress or deplete my yeast!