Dry Yeast Rehydration

[bmd2k1]

I'm curious how many folks rehydrate your dry yeast & technique used -- prior to pitching. (ie. use just water, H20 plus some sugar, juice etc)

To this point I have NOT rehydrated any dry yeast used for my ciders -- only just sprinkled right on top of the juice -- and I would consider my results to date to be excellent. (...I have only rehydrated -- some S04 --when making a batch of Hard Lemon/Lime-aid -- to give it a head-start in the more hostile acidic environment.)

I ask because I'm currently reading the book - Yeast - by Chris White -- and he states that "skipping rehydration kills about half the cells pitched...and the dead cells immediately begin to break down and affect the beer flavor."

Chime in

Cheers...

 

[KaiB]

I never did...for my first 50 gallons or so...until I got a sulphurous batch which broke my heart. It MAY have been from stressed yeast.

For this reason, I hydrate first now. Simple warm water for fifteen minutes and then slow additions of juice until the temperature btw. the yeast mix and the juice is within ten degrees or so. I believe this is also Chris' protocol.

I'm also only using only one packet dry yeast per 7 gallon batch and have decided that (at least) I am happier not worrying about initial yeast health.

 

[Blacksmith1]

I haven't tried dry pitching yet, My step son did on his meads with bread yeast and it took off ok. As for the rehydrate methods I have tried Plain water, Straight must (with added sugar), Plain juice, Water with honey, boiled bread yeast, and raisins, Juice cut with water, and Water with a pinch of yeast nutes, and low volume of sugar (sweet enough to tell there was sugar but nowhere near syrup) the last is the one that seems to have worked best. I've also found that time is my friend here. The longer you let the yeasts ramp up before pitching the less lag time you'll get. My latest batch is fermenting quite furiously from about 3-4 hrs after pitch, the others took from 6hrs to a day or so to reach this level of activity.

As always YMMV.

[edit] P.S. my starters have also been getting larger, the last one was just over 8oz. of liquid. I'm assuming more room & food = larger herd, hey it works for cows.

 

[Maylar]

I always rehydrate dry yeast, per the instructions that are printed on the packet (or from Scott Labs' instructions). With high gravity musts (mead or cyser) I also use GoFerm as a rehydration nutrient.

Be aware that rehydrating in distilled water will kill them. Also using any nutrient other than GoFerm in the rehydration water will kill them.

 

[Blacksmith1]

I used a basic yeast nutrient on my starter and it worked well. granted it was literally a pinch

 

[TechFanMD]

Just follow the directions on the packet or look up the spec sheet online. In some cases there are reasons not to hydrate in water before pitching (I don't say 're-hydrate' because no matter how you use it, you're re-hydrating it one way or another). They know what they are doing and have done the experiments so that we don't have to guess.

 

[KaiB]

Be aware that rehydrating in distilled water will kill them.

This.

 

[bmd2k1]

I always rehydrate dry yeast, per the instructions that are printed on the packet (or from Scott Labs' instructions). With high gravity musts (mead or cyser) I also use GoFerm as a rehydration nutrient.

Be aware that rehydrating in distilled water will kill them. Also using any nutrient other than GoFerm in the rehydration water will kill them.

What's the difference between GoFerm & GoFerm Protect? (is it just an updated version?)

 

[KaiB]

From another forum:

"
I got a short, but friendly response back from Scott Labs today telling me that all's well in using the "Protect" version for regular fermentations.

Here is the pertinent part of the reply "No need to worry! The Go Ferm Protect will do the trick. The Go Ferm Protect contains all the nutrients found in the regular Go Ferm plus unsaturated fatty acids and sterols for improved membrane integrity. It does not sacrifice anything in order to handle tougher fermentations, but rather incorporates these additional components for extra protection."

Copied from Gotmead.com - Read More at:http://www.gotmead.com/forum/showth...rm-quot-compared-to-quot-Go-Ferm-Protect-quot

 

[CKuhns]

I always rehydrate yeast, using the same must i ferment in for a minimum of 24 hours and as much as 72 hours. My belief is that it helps jump start the ferment and shortens primary that makes for a cleaner and quicker ferment.

 

[ebbelwoi]

I've done maybe 25 batches with dry yeast, and have never rehydrated. Haven't noticed a problem.

 

[KaiB]

I've done maybe 25 batches with dry yeast, and have never rehydrated. Haven't noticed a problem.

I did also and never had a problem.

I now have two cases of bottles which retain a sulphurous odor which "may" be a function of stressed yeast. It is a heart breaker and enough that I rehydrate carefully now.

 

[dmtaylor]

Never. Turns out great without wasting your time.

 

[GHBWNY]

Wouldn't it seem that if a manufacturer wanted the consumer to get the best results out of their yeast, they would state on the package instructions for rehydrating? I recall one brand I used stating on the package "NO NEED TO REHYDRATE", others say nothing at all. I rehydrate all my dry yeast, but frankly, I have never noticed a difference in fermentation and final product between those I have rehydrated and those I haven't. My process is: as soon as I put wort chiller in wort, I draw 8 oz. of 90-105F water into a sanitized measuring cup (just water -- no extract or sugar), evenly sprinkle yeast on top and cover with a piece of sanitized foil. Over the next 10-15 minutes I check to see if it's 'blooming' into a creamy consistency, which it always is. I swirl it good to mix it up and then pitch it.

 

[z-bob]

I just posted this in another thread a day or two ago; I'll put it here too cuz it's a good story:

Saturday I rehydrated a 3 year old packet of Nottingham, as much as anything to make sure it was still good. I put it in a 5 ounce glass with 2 ounces of 90 degree tapwater and set a Pringles lid on top. 15 minutes later I checked on it, and it had foamed out the top and knocked the lid off and had 4 fruitflies on it. I scraped off the top and pitched what was left; I figure I lost well over half of it. The beer is fermenting just fine now, but the lag time was about 18 hours.

If I ever do this again, I'll use a 16 ounce jar, so when it foams up it will stay in the jar. Then I can add a little wort and give it another 10 minutes to get used to the sugar and so the temperature will be closer when I pitch it.

If I'm sure the yeast packet is fresh, think I'll just sprinkle it on top next time. I still think proofing old yeast is a good idea, I just executed it poorly.

 

[Maylar]

Wouldn't it seem that if a manufacturer wanted the consumer to get the best results out of their yeast, they would state on the package instructions for rehydrating? I recall one brand I used stating on the package "NO NEED TO REHYDRATE", others say nothing at all.

I think the Nottingham package says that. Beer and ale yeasts don't usually say anything about rehydration, but wine yeasts do.

From Scott Labs Yeast Handbook:

Proper yeast rehydration is one of the most important steps to help ensure a strong and healthy fermentation. Normal inoculation for wine active dried yeast is 2 lb/1000 gal (25 g/hL). When added properly, a 2 lb/1000 gal (25 g/hL) addition of wine active dried yeast results in an initial cell concentration of 3–4 million viable cells per milliliter of must/juice. Under favorable conditions, the initial cell population may increase up to 100–150 million viable cells per milliliter of must/juice before growth stops and alcoholic fermentation begins. This biomass increase is critical for healthy fermentations.

 

[z-bob]

I think the Nottingham package says that. Beer and ale yeasts don't usually say anything about rehydration, but wine yeasts do.

From Scott Labs Yeast Handbook:

Wine must has much higher sugar content (and therefore osmotic pressure) than beer wort. That's probably why the directions are different. Cider is usually somewhere in between, closer to beer. My packet of Nottingham had hydration instruction on the back, but it was a couple of years old, they may have changed their packaging again.

 

[bmd2k1]

when using Go Ferm to rehydrate -- will you see an increase in volume -- similar to what is seen using other nutrients or sugar or must etc ??

 

[Maylar]

It'll get foamy, so yeah there's an increase in volume. Not a lot.

 

[bmd2k1]

It'll get foamy, so yeah there's an increase in volume. Not a lot.

How long can ya keep a batch of rehydrated yeast at room temp before it's no longer good?

 

[z-bob]

How long can ya keep a batch of rehydrated yeast at room temp before it's no longer good?

It probably starts deteriorating about 15 or 20 minutes after it's activated -- unless you give it something to eat (malt, sugar, apple juice, dextrose, etc)

 

[Maylar]

How long can ya keep a batch of rehydrated yeast at room temp before it's no longer good?

Rehydration requires attemperating the yeast slurry to the same temp as the must. Starting at about 100°F you add a little must every 5 minutes to slowly bring the temp down to within 10 degrees of the must before pitching. Instructions that I've seen say to do this within 30 minutes.

 

[wasully]

[edit] P.S. my starters have also been getting larger, the last one was just over 8oz. of liquid. I'm assuming more room & food = larger herd, hey it works for cows.

Taking that logic to conclusion, why bother with a starter at all?

 

[Blacksmith1]

I have been doing the water then add juice method. Supposed to reduce shock from high SG must.

 

[madscientist451]

My yeast procedure is two steps:
I re-hydrate with go ferm protect. At that point the yeast mixture will be much warmer than the must, so I "temper" the yeast by adding small amounts of the must to the yeast mixture and gradually bring the temperature down.
I've also just chucked it in, and that works ok, but I try to do as much as I can to help my yeast.

 

[MiBeerMan]

So has anyone noticed go ferm protect having a bad odor? These past 2 times I've used it, it seems it doesn't smell very pleasant to me.

 

[shetc]

So has anyone noticed go ferm protect having a bad odor? These past 2 times I've used it, it seems it doesn't smell very pleasant to me.

It does stink.

 

[Cidre Breton]

New here, but not to yeast.
I have been making bread, French loaves and baguettes, for a long time, so baking yeast has not much secret to me anymore.
So if yeast is yeast, here is my 2 cents.
Bread yeast loves 100 degree Fahrenheit. Maybe wine yeast do as well?
More yeast, faster process, but end result will be different in the taste.
The only purpose (in bread making) of rehydrating yeast, is to check if it's alive, before finding out too late that the yeast is dead.
I have a question .... if I add pieces of fresh apples to my apple juice, would the natural yeast inside the apple replace dry yeast?

 

[brewbama]

I have a question .... if I add pieces of fresh apples to my apple juice, would the natural yeast inside the apple replace dry yeast?

Yes the apples would ferment the apple juice ...but it would be a crap shoot: you wouldn’t know what wild yeast would dominate and what flavors you’d end up with. It might be fantastic but it might taste like cow ass.

Beer, wine, cider, etc yeasts are isolated near pure strains of yeast that produce a particular character at a controlled temp range.

 

[Cidre Breton]

Yes the apples would ferment the apple juice ...but it would be a crap shoot: you wouldn’t know what wild yeast would dominate and what flavors you’d end up with. It might be fantastic but it might taste like cow ass.

Beer, wine, cider, etc yeasts are isolated near pure strains of yeast that produce a particular character at a controlled temp range.

Thank you. Cow ass, ... I must research that formula

 

[BarleyStanding]

I don't use dry yeast often, but I've used it from time to time, especially when I don't have time to build a starter and I'm making a high gravity beer. I keep several packages in my fridge just for this reason. I've never hydrated, just followed the directions and "sprinkled into wort", or whatever the package says. I pitch 2 packages on 1.065+ wort. I've always had really clean results.

 

[wasully]

New here, but not to yeast.
I have been making bread, French loaves and baguettes, for a long time, so baking yeast has not much secret to me anymore.
So if yeast is yeast, here is my 2 cents.
Bread yeast loves 100 degree Fahrenheit. Maybe wine yeast do as well?
More yeast, faster process, but end result will be different in the taste.
The only purpose (in bread making) of rehydrating yeast, is to check if it's alive, before finding out too late that the yeast is dead.
I have a question .... if I add pieces of fresh apples to my apple juice, would the natural yeast inside the apple replace dry yeast?

The pitched yeast will almost always outcompete the wild yeast and render it irrelevant. Darwin is merciless, and part of the reason we've bred/selected/created commercial yeast cultures is to outwork the wild yeast/bacteria, in reproduction, fermentation and ester/phenol management.

There are some yeasts that like hot temperatures, and there's some work being done on them, but they're an oddity.

We've spent centuries/millennia figuring out how to best ferment at ambient or cellar temperatures. And our biggest, most storied alcohol traditions are generally in places where it doesn't spent a lot of time at 100 degrees. So rather than start over and spend a lot of time/money/energy deciding beer and wine and whatever should ferment at 100 degrees, we've selected and bred yeasts that do well at temperatures we want to deal with.

Also, it's pretty hard for a barrel to ferment at anything other than ambient temperature and people have been fermenting primarily in barrels for forever. Who wants to heat a building to 100 degrees, anyway?