Pitch now or wait?

[Sippin37]

So I have my Nottingham yeast re-hydrated and waiting to pitch. Problem is my wort chiller only got my wort down to 80 when I thought it was 65. I must have had the temp probe resting on the chiller itself and not the wort. I put my fermenter in a cooler full of cold water and threw in some frozen gatorade bottles.

My question is should I pitch the yeast now at 80F? Or should I wait until tomorrow morning to pitch? If I wait, should I just leave the Nottingham ale yeast (which is currently in liquid form after being rehyrdated) out at room temp of 70F? In the fridge?

Thanks!

 

[JLem]

I've never left rehydrated dried yeast out for too long, but I wouldn't want to pitch at 80F. I'd probably just leave the yeast out at room temp (covered loosely with some aluminum foil).

 

[Sippin37]

Thanks, I think I am going to do that. I will sanitize some foil and cover it. Then check in the morning when I am sure the wort will be closer to 65F. Don't want those hot alcohol flavors, that's what I am scared of.

 

[stevedasleeve]

Me I'd pitch. I've (probably) pitched at that temperature before and I've never brewed anything that wasn't brilliant and tasty! I am more afraid of the possibility of contamination then pitching at a too high temperature myself. Also all those yeast fetishists propagate scary scenarios when 99% of the time the yeast doesn't give a flying frack, they just like to make beer and do it pretty damn well.

YMMV of course

 

[Hang Glider]

Also all those yeast fetishists propagate scary scenarios when 99% of the time the yeast doesn't give a flying frack, they just like to make beer and do it pretty damn well.

YMMV of course

Yeah, those yeast manufacturers setting ideal ranges - must all be BS...

 

[stevedasleeve]

Nope not that at all. My point is that yeast is not a shrinking violet but a robust singleminded microbe that handles temperature issues much more handily than most make out. It makes sense to go with the recommendations if course, just don't sweat a couple of degrees or even a swing during fermentation. Frankly I went from not a whole lot of control to absolute control over fermentation temperature several years ago and I can't say my beer is any better now than then.

YMMV and WTF etc.

Steve da sleeve

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Yeah, those yeast manufacturers setting ideal ranges - must all be BS...

Exactly!! It's all just a conspiracy to force you to brew better beer.


OP, your wort should drop to ~70 fairly quickly considering the scenario you describe, I'd just pitch then. I've left rehhydrating(ed) yeast for hours during long brew days, just leave it covered with sanitized foil and at room temp til you're ready to pitch. That said, if you're taking the temps down already, pitching at ~80 shouldn't hurt your beer.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

I have pitched at 80 on a few occasions and never got any fusels as a result. I was always in the proper temp range before the yeast took off. Ask 10 brewers a question, get 15 different answers...

 

[Sippin37]

Thanks for all of the opinions everybody. Well I rehydrated the yeast last night at 9pm, didn't pitch it until this morning at 9am when my wort was at 65F, and am finally seeing airlock activity tonight at 9pm.

I was just worried about getting some of those fusels at the higher temps. At the same time I was worried that leaving the rehydrated yeast out overnight was going to somehow get infected being only 100mL of yeast covered by only sanitized foil. Needless to say it has atleast started fermenting and I got it at about 62F currently, so hopefully it turns into a great beer and doesn't still get screwed up somehow!

 

[ahsmatt7]

I have pitched that yeast at higher temps than that only to find that my beer is perfectly fine.

 

[JLem]

Thanks for all of the opinions everybody. Well I rehydrated the yeast last night at 9pm, didn't pitch it until this morning at 9am when my wort was at 65F, and am finally seeing airlock activity tonight at 9pm.

I was just worried about getting some of those fusels at the higher temps. At the same time I was worried that leaving the rehydrated yeast out overnight was going to somehow get infected being only 100mL of yeast covered by only sanitized foil. Needless to say it has atleast started fermenting and I got it at about 62F currently, so hopefully it turns into a great beer and doesn't still get screwed up somehow!

I think you did the right thing. Some folks may not have a problem pitching at 80F or above, but it's not worth the potential risk IMO of higher alcohols and more (unwanted) ester production.

As for your rehydrated yeast becoming infected...bacteria and wild yeast do not crawl, climb, walk, etc to get into things. The float around in the air and on dust. So as long as your equipment is sanitized and then properly covered, you don't need to worry about infection.

 

[Hang Glider]

Frankly I went from not a whole lot of control to absolute control over fermentation temperature several years ago and I can't say my beer is any better now than then.

YMMV and WTF etc.

Steve da sleeve

thanks for the YMMV disclaimer - because in all my 10+ years of brewing - Fermentation temperature control was probably the SINGLE MOST important thing I've done to increase the quality of my result. All my reading and many of the threads here support that. Yours is the very first post I've ever read to claim a contrary position.


yeast pitching - sure, a little warmer, or not, but fermentation temps?

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Frankly I went from not a whole lot of control to absolute control over fermentation temperature several years ago and I can't say my beer is any better now than then.

YMMV and WTF etc.

Steve da sleeve

Honestly, I have a very hard time believing this statement to be true. Along with proper pitch rates, and maybe even more so, temp control is up at the top of important things to pay attention to.

thanks for the YMMV disclaimer - because in all my 10+ years of brewing - Fermentation temperature control was probably the SINGLE MOST important thing I've done to increase the quality of my result. All my reading and many of the threads here support that. Yours is the very first post I've ever read to claim a contrary position.

I thought the same thing when I first read that. I think he's blowing smoke, cuz really, I think anyone who's started controlling fermentation temps has seen how important it is... it's kinda important.

 

[tre9er]

I know I've made a simple blonde with chico that turned out with banana esters and the only thing I can point to is either hot pitching or a temp swing in fermentation. I think I pitched in the high 70's and it did get warm for part of those 3 weeks, even though my basement is fairly well stable...but I'm guessing the temp varied enough to affect things. I think the beer temp was 62 after it stabilized initially but it could have risen into the high 60's.

My neighbor/friend just got the ebay temp controller and is setting up a chamber. I'm considering doing the same, ugly-junk-style. I don't mind the occasional unexpected flavor, I'll drink it and enjoy the diversity...but sometimes I want to make a certain thing and I want to know I can accomplish that.

 

[kh54s10]

I have occasionally pitched my yeast at ~80°. I immediately put the fermenter in my swamp cooler and within a couple of hours had the temperature desired for my fermentation.

IMO this is not ideal but since it was cooled before the fermentation took off i believe it was ok and the beer finished very good.

 

[Hang Glider]

I have occasionally pitched my yeast at ~80°. I immediately put the fermenter in my swamp cooler and within a couple of hours had the temperature desired for my fermentation.

IMO this is not ideal but since it was cooled before the fermentation took off i believe it was ok and the beer finished very good.

this - I too have occasionally pitched a bit warm, but immediately cooled it.

....I think I pitched in the high 70's and it did get warm for part of those 3 weeks, even though my basement is fairly well stable...but I'm guessing the temp varied enough to affect things. I think the beer temp was 62 after it stabilized initially but it could have risen into the high 60's......

you'd be surprised what yeast can do. Before I really got into temp control, I measured. On one batch, the first few days, the wort was 10F over ambient. There's one fellow who posted on HBT that measured 16F over ambient. This is why a "cool basement" may not be enough.

 

[tre9er]

Pretty sure the beer temp was in the 60's, according to the "never-wrong" LC thermometer on the bucket!

 

[stevedasleeve]

Honestly, I have a very hard time believing this statement to be true. Along with proper pitch rates, and maybe even more so, temp control is up at the top of important things to pay attention to.

I thought the same thing when I first read that. I think he's blowing smoke, cuz really, I think anyone who's started controlling fermentation temps has seen how important it is... it's kinda important.

Well whatever. I don't lie, and I make damn good beer. In the last 50 or so batches I've pitched 8 hot due to time/patience issues and absolutely zero problems have cropped up. I take detailed notes so I am not making generalizations. So seriously YMMV and obviously does. There are many variables

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Well whatever. I don't lie, and I make damn good beer. In the last 50 or so batches I've pitched 8 hot due to time/patience issues and absolutely zero problems have cropped up. I take detailed notes so I am not making generalizations. So seriously YMMV and obviously does. There are many variables

Awesome. MMDV I totally believe you've pitched warm with no issues. We all have. I've just never seen someone make the claim that temp control during fermentation is over rated, or at least I''ve never heard anyone who's using some form of temp control say that temp control is over rated. Seemed odd.