To oxygenate or not

[SeaBass512]

I posted this in another sub-forum but I don’t think that one gets much traffic, so.....

Well this is a first for me. I’ve been brewing for 7-8 years and worked part time as a brewer for a commercial brewery for 3 years....never had a bad batch.

I brewed a breakfast stout on Brew Year’s Day, OG 1.088. Hit all my numbers etc etc. It has coffee and chocolate additions.

Pitched the US-05 after rehydrating it but I’m thinking the water was too hot and I killed them off. I’ve had no airlock activity and no kreusen.

Tomorrow I will buy 2 more packs of 05, but my question is, should I oxygenate when I do, or just pitch and pray?

TIA

 

[beermanpete]

If there has been no fermentation then more oxygen won't hurt anything.

 

[SanPancho]

Gravity reading is the real answer here. If no movement then pitch new and oxygenate. But if the original pitch is just moving slowly you dont want to oxygenate again.

 

[jheinikel]

If my gravity moved more than a point or two, I wouldn’t oxygenate. You’re in a bit of a sticky situation given the gravity of that beer needing O2 and possibly not being able to supply it.

 

[couchsending]

No need to oxygenate with dry yeast.. although not 100% sure at 1.088.

 

[mabrungard]

Definitely no need to oxygenate when using dry yeast. It has been produced so that the yeast's sterol reserves are large and it can grow (multiply) well.

You mention rehydrating the yeast. Did you measure the temperature of the rehydrating water? If it was even slightly warm to touch, you have a high possibility of having killed the yeast. That's why I strongly recommend that brewers ALWAYS REHYDRATE YEAST IN ROOM-TEMPERATURE WATER. This is regardless to what some dry yeast producers recommend. There is sufficient scientific research results that indicate that there isn't an appreciable difference in yeast viability between room-temp and elevated water temp results. Rehydrating in room-temp water assures that you won't kill the yeast via excessive temperature.

 

[SeaBass512]

I’m sure the water was too warm, but, disaster averted as it is now actively chugging away with no extra steps needed. Let’s hope the final product doesn’t show any signs it was stressed.

Lesson learned for next time.

Thanks everyone.