First time rehydrating yeast

[HeadStrong]

Hey guys. This is my second brew. I wanted to get a touch more creative than the first (all kit) so I used coopers wheat beer kit, Bavarian wheat DME, dextrose, and danstar Munich yeast. I know I screwed this recipe up at almost every step. I got flustered and lost focus and started rushing and did so many things wrong.

I'm writing here to figure out if I messed up the yeast or not. When I read the package of yeast it said pour into 100ml 30-35 degree water for 00:15. I took this to mean what it would mean on my microwave, 15 seconds. Then stir. Only after I put the brew away and come on here to check how badly I've ****ed up do I realize that it means 15 minutes before stirring. I think I made an honest mistake, but just how bad did I **** up? Did I kill yeast cells? Or just slow them down. It seems like there is some activity in the pail but not like my first batch where I didn't rehydrate the yeast and it was coopers kit yeast.

I'll probably have more questions about this brew. Not about what i did wrong, but what will result from what I did wrong.

Btw I've named this batch "Murphy's brew"

 

[NewWestBrewer]

Hey guys. This is my second brew. I wanted to get a touch more creative than the first (all kit) so I used coopers wheat beer kit, Bavarian wheat DME, dextrose, and danstar Munich yeast. I know I screwed this recipe up at almost every step. I got flustered and lost focus and started rushing and did so many things wrong.

I'm writing here to figure out if I messed up the yeast or not. When I read the package of yeast it said pour into 100ml 30-35 degree water for 00:15. I took this to mean what it would mean on my microwave, 15 seconds. Then stir. Only after I put the brew away and come on here to check how badly I've ****ed up do I realize that it means 15 minutes before stirring. I think I made an honest mistake, but just how bad did I **** up? Did I kill yeast cells? Or just slow them down. It seems like there is some activity in the pail but not like my first batch where I didn't rehydrate the yeast and it was coopers kit yeast.

I'll probably have more questions about this brew. Not about what i did wrong, but what will result from what I did wrong.

Btw I've named this batch "Murphy's brew"

I am no expert but I would think that you should grab some more yeast in the morning. Microwaving would probably nuked the yeast. There are a lot more informed people on here than me but I woul pick up another pack. Also for future brews write out of the steps, have everything out and labelled to help out, especially that you are a new brewer.

 

[Stocktonbrew]

I would add more yeast. Even if you just dump in the packet. You can rehydrate next time.

 

[HeadStrong]

I am no expert but I would think that you should grab some more yeast in the morning. Microwaving would probably nuked the yeast. There are a lot more informed people on here than me but I woul pick up another pack. Also for future brews write out of the steps, have everything out and labelled to help out, especially that you are a new brewer.

I didn't microwave the yeast, I just timed it wrong. I thought 00:15 was 15 seconds like on a microwave clock. But they meant 00:15 as 15 minutes. I own a microwave but use it less than once a month.

 

[ResumeMan]

If I am reading your summary right, it's just a matter of only rehydrating the yeast for a very short time before you pitched right?

Your method wasn't ideal exactly but it was hardly yeast abuse. If I'm reading what you said right, your beer is fine, RDWHAHB. Of course I don't know what " I screwed this recipe up at almost every step" means, but from a yeast standpoint, how long you rehydrate it isn't totally irrelevant but also isn't the difference between good & bad beer.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

If what you mean is that you only rehdrated the yeast for 15 seconds then it will be roughly the same as directly sprinkling the yeast onto the wort.

Less viable yeast cells but it will still ferment and probably turn out fine.

Those coopers packets are pretty small though. 7grams I think. That's already low so you might want to rehydrate another sacchette and pitch that as well.

 

[BigFloyd]

Since you used a packet of Danstar Munich yeast (11g) instead of the Coopers yeast, you ought to be OK. You simply missed out on the benefit of higher cell count that comes with proper rehydration, but you didn't nuke all of the yeast cells.

Since you have activity, the most important thing you can do now is leave it alone and don't mess with it for two weeks, then take a hydro reading.

Next time you brew, SLOW DOWN. Nothing good in brewing happens quickly (except, perhaps, the consumption phase).

 

[unionrdr]

I used the info on the manufacturer's PDF for the US-05 I've been using lately. I used 400mL of warm water in my flask & poured the yeast in. Let it sit 15 minutes,then stir it in. Wait another 15 minutes,then stir again. Cover & wait another 30 minutes. Then,when you have the chilled wort & top off stired up good in the fermenter,stir the now rehydrated yeast & pour it into the fernenter & seal'er up. I did that with Cooper's 7g ale yeast packets,& they started just as fast as the US-05 packet sprinkled dry with the same sort of vigor.

 

[HeadStrong]

Thanks guys.

 

[HeadStrong]

The activity in the airlock had stopped (it wasn't much to begin with). So I opened the primary today to look. There was small spotting of krausen all over but that's it. So I dry added the kit yeast, put the lid back on and the airlock started bubbling like mad. My whole apartment smells like yeast.

 

[HeadStrong]

....and as quickly as the bubbling started, it's ended. What the heck is going on in there?

 

[bethebrew]

When you shook it to mix in the dry yeast, you released the CO2 from your probably already fermenting wort. Bubble bubble bubble, stop.

Patience, grasshopper.

 

[MarcusKillion]

15 seconds in the microwave with that amount of water is quite hot . I use 10 seconds to heat up my water and that is way too hot .
What you need to do is heat up water for 15 seconds and check temp . If it is over 105 then you should not EDIT : " pitch " I did not mean pitch . I meant do not put your yeast in this overly hot water to re hydrate . Over maybe 120 and your yeast are toast I think .
best way I found to re hydrate the yeast is to put it in water 90 to 105 . sprinkle it on top do not stir . After 15 minutes gently stir it in to get it all wet and allow to sit for another 15 minutes and then use it . I have let mine sit for an hour or so and is still good but they say no more than 30 minutes . Might want to drop in a tsp of sugar after it has re hydrated so it has something to eat while waiting on you to pitch it . Make sure your wort is no more than 70 degrees . Your yeast should be cooled down to room temp by now so it is good .
the US 05 and the like do not even need re hydrated but I usually do it any way .

Stirring it up before the 15 minutes kind of drowns it I guess and is said to kill some off . I did this same thing several times with no problems . Not a deal breaker I am sure . It will just take a bit longer to multiply in the fermenter to get a large amount of yeast .
Activity in the pail is never the same . sometimes it blows up and you need a blow off tube and other times it takes 2 weeks to finish out .
you will be fine I think and have a good beer to boot .

edit : the bubbling as was stated by bethebrew is correct . Keep in mind that a lot of gas means bubbles even in a bucket that may have a leak in the lid . It will bubble until there is not enough pressure to force it through the air lock and then it will take the easy way out through the lid seal leak . this is why I tightly wrap my lid up with duct tape so I can watch the air lock since my lids usually leak . But it does not matter . Just check your FG after a week to make sure it is working . Then leave it alone for two more weeks for good beer

 

[BigFloyd]

....and as quickly as the bubbling started, it's ended. What the heck is going on in there?

Now,

*Leave

it

alone.

*Give

it

time.