The Absolute Best Way!!!

[wshinn2]

What is the absolute way to pitch dry yeast to wort cooled to 62 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit?

1. Pitch directly from package into cool wort, do not rehydrate.
2. Rehydrate per manufacture in warm water and pitch immediately.
3. Rehydrate per manufacture in warm water and cool to pitching temperature in refrigerator.
4. Rehydrate per manufacture in warm water then cool to a minimum of 10 degrees above pitching temperature.
5. Make a starter, cool in refrigerator and pitch yeast starter at a cooler temperature than wort.
6. Make a starter and pitch at room temperature at high krausen.
7. Other? Please explain.

 

[Hoppity]

Option 4 is best practice EXCEPT cool to within 10 degrees of target wort temp. Ice/cool water bath of yeast vessel will move it from 80-90 to target temp rather quickly.

 

[wshinn2]

Option 4 is best practice EXCEPT cool to within 10 degrees of target wort temp. Ice/cool water bath of yeast vessel will move it from 80-90 to target temp rather quickly.

Hoppity, why would this be better (for the yeast) than pitching the 80-90 degree rehydrated yeast directly into the cooled (62-68F) wort? Is it because the yeast will tolerate cooling from 80-90 to 72-78 better than cooling from 80-90 directly to 62-68F?

 

[brew_ny]

option 4 add some of the cool wort a little at a time to the rehyrated yeast to get it to about the wort temp then pitch

all the best

S_M

 

[Hoppity]

Manufacturer's recommendations are to not shock the yeast by pitching them into environments over 10 degrees away. They also recommend against ambient room air chilling. Hence to need for the ice/cool water bath. Go to the website of the packet you're pitching. That is your best source of best practice.

 

[wshinn2]

option 4 add some of the cool wort a little at a time to the rehyrated yeast to get it to about the wort temp then pitch

all the best

S_M

Yeeesssss! I like it. Going to try this sometime in the near future! Thanks S_M!!!!

 

[wshinn2]

Manufacturer's recommendations are to not shock the yeast by pitching them into environments over 10 degrees away. They also recommend against ambient room air chilling. Hence to need for the ice/cool water bath. Go to the website of the packet you're pitching. That is your best source of best practice.

Here's the Rehydration Instructions for Fermentis Safale US-05 from the manufacturer's website:

"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."

From above, I don't think the manufacturers truly address those of use who prefer cooler fermentation temperatures. Hence, the reason for my post. I normally use liquid yeast, make a starter, let it reach full krausen and settle, then cool in a refrigerator overnight (to 34F) prior to pitching. This method gives me good results.

Of late, I've been trying to master use of dry yeast, but not getting nearly as good of performance.

I am relying on my homebrew brothers to put me on the right path. Thanks all for your input/advise!!

 

[Hoppity]

Here's the Rehydration Instructions for Fermentis Safale US-05 from the manufacturer's website:

"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."

From above, I don't think the manufacturers truly address those of use who prefer cooler fermentation temperatures. Hence, the reason for my post. I normally use liquid yeast, make a starter, let it reach full krausen and settle, then cool in a refrigerator overnight (to 34F) prior to pitching. This method gives me good results.

Of late, I've been trying to master use of dry yeast, but not getting nearly as good of performance.

I am relying on my homebrew brothers to put me on the right path. Thanks all for your input/advise!!

If you get good results pitching 34 degree starters into 62 degree wort, then more power to you. Must be a big starter because I imagine many die from thermal shock.

 

[bobbytuck]

Rehydrate? Why?

Just pitch. Dry yeast is fine. Just pitch it into the wort. I dry pitch Notty, 05, 04, Abbaye, Belle Saison -- never a problem. Never.

Save time, save grief. Just cut it and pitch.

What matters is fermentation temperature. That matters. Not "rehydrated yeast". That's crazy -- and a waste of time. It's dry yeast. It's a lot of yeast. You're fine. Just pitch it into the wort, worry about the temperature.

 

[wshinn2]

If you get good results pitching 34 degree starters into 62 degree wort, then more power to you. Must be a big starter because I imagine many die from thermal shock.

Here is what I've found... you can pitch cold yeast into a warmer wort... no problem... but I've not had much luck pitching warm yeast into cold wort. I can't explain why cold yeast into warmer wort always gives me good results with good attenuation??

 

[wshinn2]

Rehydrate? Why?

Just pitch. Dry yeast is fine. Just pitch it into the wort. I dry pitch Notty, 05, 04, Abbaye, Belle Saison -- never a problem. Never.

Save time, save grief. Just cut it and pitch.

What matters is fermentation temperature. That matters. Not "rehydrated yeast". That's crazy -- and a waste of time. It's dry yeast. It's a lot of yeast. You're fine. Just pitch it into the wort, worry about the temperature.

Ironically, that is precisely the advise I get from the brewers in my local homebrew club!

 

[Paps]

What is the absolute way to pitch dry yeast to wort cooled to 62 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit?

1. Pitch directly from package into cool wort, do not rehydrate.
2. Rehydrate per manufacture in warm water and pitch immediately.
3. Rehydrate per manufacture in warm water and cool to pitching temperature in refrigerator.
4. Rehydrate per manufacture in warm water then cool to a minimum of 10 degrees above pitching temperature.
5. Make a starter, cool in refrigerator and pitch yeast starter at a cooler temperature than wort.
6. Make a starter and pitch at room temperature at high krausen.
7. Other? Please explain.

No,No,No. You're doing it all wrong.
First you must call upon the high preistess of the land to remove the satchel of yest from your fridge. As she guides it toward your sacred wort you must vivatiously do the New Zeland Hakka.
Upon arrival at your wort she must count to three.
Four must not be counted,
Neither two unless preceded by one and immediatly followed by three.
Five is right out of the question.
Then as she holds the Satchel upon high you must then sing the "Macerena" in C-minor whilst she sprinkles the yeasties into thine sacred wort all whilst she praises Kermit the Frog.........
....or something like that.:rockin:

 

[LJvermonster]

Rehydrate? Why?

Just pitch. Dry yeast is fine. Just pitch it into the wort. I dry pitch Notty, 05, 04, Abbaye, Belle Saison -- never a problem. Never.

Save time, save grief. Just cut it and pitch.

What matters is fermentation temperature. That matters. Not "rehydrated yeast". That's crazy -- and a waste of time. It's dry yeast. It's a lot of yeast. You're fine. Just pitch it into the wort, worry about the temperature.

This has been my technique for every batch I've done. No issues ever. No hassle, piece of cake.

 

[Natdavis777]

When Ive used dry yeast, Ive always added it to the recommended volume of warm water, let it sit for a few minutes, then stirred, then pitched when it has bloomed.

All in all, I think dry yeast is pretty resilient. You can pitch it many ways and end up with good beer. If your method is producing the product you are satisfied with, keep on keeping on.

 

[jtratcliff]

I think it's been shown that direct pitch is a little harder on the yeast, so that more die than when rehydrated.

However, it's also been shown not to make much difference in the final beer for moderate gravity 5g batches... The brulosopher has an exBEERiment on it.

 

[wshinn2]

Since my original post, I purchased one of the brewing elements series books, yeast. I recently brewed the "2 Time Gold Medal IPA" and pitch Safale US-05 (dry yeast) using this methodology from the book.

1. Warmed the yeast to room temperature.
2. Rehydrated the yeast in sterile tap water (at the temperature recommended by the manufacturer) by sprinkling on the water and letting it sit undisturbed for 15 minutes.
3. After the 15 minutes, stirred yeast solution to a creamy consistency and then let it rest another 5 minutes.
4. After the 5 minute rest, slowly cooled the yeast (in water bath) to approximate pitching temperature and pitched.

This resulted in active fermentation (air-lock bubbling) in a few hours.

Special thanks to Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff for sharing this in their excellent book "yeast, the practical guide to beer fermentation".

 

[Qhrumphf]

It's been a long time since I've used dry yeast as a primary beer strain (used champagne yeast to carb a number of times though, sours that have been >1 year in the fermenter, or big beers, or whatever), but rehydrate and then pitch as close to my wort/pitching temp as possible.

The folks who say "just drop it in that's what I do and it's fine", we don't know your process or your palate, and just because you do it with allegedly good results (some of use have higher standards than others), it's still against proper brewing practice to pitch unhydrated yeast. The biological reason why is explained in that Yeast book- unydrated dry yeast when still dry cannot regulate what passes through the cell wall, and a sizeable portion (~50%) will effectively be killed by the wort if pitched unhydrated. While dry yeast has a high cell count compared to White Labs or Wyeast vials/packs (some other manufacturers do sell in ready-to-pitch quantities), even if you have enough yeast with 50% death for your batch, you still don't want to toss in that much dead yeast, as that increases the risk of off-flavors.