Proofing Safale US-05

[brewbama]

Does anyone proof their US 05 per Palmer by adding one teaspoon of extract or sugar that has been boiled in a small amount of water prior to pitching? Does proofing US-05 expend the optimized nutrional reserves for quick starting in the main wort?

The rehydration instructions for US 05 has no mention of proofing. They say;

"Sprinkle the yeast in minimum 10 times its weight of sterile water or wort at 27°C ± 3°C (80°F ± 6°F). Leave to rest 15 to 30 minutes. Gently stir for 30 minutes, and pitch the resultant cream into the fermentation vessel."

"Alternatively, pitch the yeast directly in the fermentation vessel providing the temperature of the wort is above 20°C (68°F). Progressively sprinkle the dry yeast into the wort ensuring the yeast covers all the surface of wort available in order to avoid clumps. Leave for 30 minutes, then mix the wort using aeration or by wort addition."

Palmer does say "Lallemand/Danstar does not recommend proofing after rehydration of their yeast because they have optimized their yeast's nutrional reserves for quick starting in the main wort. Proofing expends some of those reserves."

 

[SteveM]

I use it sometimes, and I just sprinkle it on top of the wort after it's cooled to under about 78F. Never had a problem with the fermenting getting up and running.

 

[kh54s10]

Everything I have read is that you DO NOT want to add any sugars. The object it to hydrate the cell walls so water alone is best. I think I have read that sugars/DME can actually damage the cells.

I have done both rehydration and dry pitching. I don't have a refined enough taste to really tell the difference. But the rehydrated starts a bit quicker.

 

[PHDrunk]

+1 to the sentiment above. Proofing is a practice that (as I understand it) brewers used to have to do because the quality of commercial brewers' yeasts was often questionable. I believe Palmer removed the suggestion of proofing dry yeast in later editions of How to Brew. I've had really good with results with rehydrated US-05.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[flars]

Besides not using sugars during rehydration, the water used is also important.

from Danstar articles;
"We do not recommend to use distilled or reverse-osmosis water because the yeast would be damaged by osmotic pressure. Tap water contains minerals which lower the osmotic pressure on the yeast. You could rehydrate the yeast in a 0.9 % saline solution.

We have a nutrient specifically developed for rehydration of dry yeast called GoFerm. This nutrient is widely used in the wine industry and supplies the yeast with sterols and minerals during rehydration process."

After rehydration wort can be used to gradually bring the temperature of the rehydrated yeast to within 15 degrees F of the wort for pitching.