What is the hottest wort you've ever pitched into?

[dansdigs]

Last night I pitched ale yeast before heading to bed, and my IPA was somewhere around 90 degrees. I figured that it wouldn't hurt the yeast start, but I wondered about the upper threshold for pitching.

Anyone have any thoughts? At what point does the temperature kill the yeast?

 

[Pilgarlic]

I rehydrate dry yeast in 100-105 degree water. 90 degrees won't kill the yeast,

 

[jbdujka]

Ive pitched that high before its not ideal but it didnt really mess anything up

 

[sjbeerman]

I would think that you could start creating fusels at that temp. How fast did you cool it down?

 

[hoppysailor]

Last night I pitched ale yeast before heading to bed, and my IPA was somewhere around 90 degrees. I figured that it wouldn't hurt the yeast start, but I wondered about the upper threshold for pitching.

Anyone have any thoughts? At what point does the temperature kill the yeast?

Will 90 degrees kill the yeast? I don't think so. Is 90 degrees the best temperature to pitch at? I'm sure it's not. From what I've heard, lowering the temperature during fermentation is going to make the yeast more likely to drop out of suspension and take a nap. This is generally talked about later in the fermentation so I'm not sure that it completely applies to pitching hot and then chilling. I believe that one of the keys to a great fermentation is to always have steady or rising temperatures. My practice is to pitch into wort that is a couple of degrees colder than where I want to ferment and then let the temperature increase gradually up to fermentation temperature. After a four or five days, I'll start moving the temperature up a degree or two each day (to a max of 68-70) to encourage the yeast to stay active and clean up after themselves.

 

[sjbeerman]

My practice is to pitch into wort that is a couple of degrees colder than where I want to ferment and then let the temperature increase gradually up to fermentation temperature. After a four or five days, I'll start moving the temperature up a degree or two each day (to a max of 68-70) to encourage the yeast to stay active and clean up after themselves.

Unfortunately, it took me a long time to learn this, but I now believe that pitching slightly colder than your target then letting it slowly rise is the best approach.

 

[petep1980]

Probably over 105. My first couple batches.

They were under attenuated, but tasted fine.

 

[evilhomer]

Before brewing I had some experience as a home baker. So being used to dealing with bread I pitched my first beer at 90. It really took off, airlock was going crazy within 4 hours.

Certainly won't hurt the yeast but you'll probably have some off flavors at first. Mine was a green apple flavor. Had to wait until about 5 weeks in bottles for it to be good.

 

[KYB]

I siphoned onto a yeast cake at about 90. It was summer and wouldn't go down much more with my wort chiller (need a pre-chiller) so I would just siphon into the fermenter and let it cool in the basement overnight and pitch the yeast the next day. Wasn't thinking that I was re-using a yeast cake. Turned American Ale into a Hefe-Weizen like flavor. Tasted and attenuated fine, just didn't taste close to what it was supposed to be (dark cream ale).

 

[XXguy]

I pitched some yeast into boiling wort, just last Thursday. On purpose.


I didn't expect it to live, but I did expect it to provide some good nutrients for the 1.102 Barleywine I was boiling - which got pitched at 62 degrees & is feasting nicely.

 

[gannawdm]

I pitched some yeast into boiling wort, just last Thursday. On purpose.


I didn't expect it to live, but I did expect it to provide some good nutrients for the 1.102 Barleywine I was boiling - which got pitched at 62 degrees & is feasting nicely.

What's the theory behind pitching into boiling wort if they die? Are the yeast cannibals?

 

[XXguy]

Basically - yes. The dead yeast cells provide nutrients that the fresh yeast will use to reproduce & build alcohol tolerance.

There's much deeper & more technical info out there - I'd say start at www.mrmalty.com - and also check out the Maltose Falcons - there's a ton of info there on yeast.http://archive.maltosefalcons.com/tech/MB_Raines_Guide_to_Yeast_Culturing.php

 

[ksbrain]

In the summer I pitch around 90, just because that's as low as it gets. It's not ideal, but really what in life is ideal?

 

[emjay]

75°… I never pitch higher than that because I always aerate first, and conventional wisdom dictates that "hot aeration" at temps of 80° or above is a thing you really don't want to be doing. After reading some stuff here though, I'll probably start dropping it to around 60° and see how that works. I started a bit warmer because my reasoning was that the yeast would get a quicker start and give less opportunity for an infection to take hold.

 

[rico567]

When I started brewing, I'd pitch around 80F, because that's what Palmer (which was my reference), as well as the kit directions, said to do. After reading a number of threads here and elsewhere, I now pitch at 70F (no problem with our 55F well water), and have done so for several years, with uniformly good results.

 

[K5MOW]

I pitched some yeast into boiling wort, just last Thursday. On purpose.


I didn't expect it to live, but I did expect it to provide some good nutrients for the 1.102 Barleywine I was boiling - which got pitched at 62 degrees & is feasting nicely.

Interesting idea.

Roger

 

[wilserbrewer]

Last night I pitched ale yeast before heading to bed, and my IPA was somewhere around 90 degrees. I figured that it wouldn't hurt the yeast start, but I wondered about the upper threshold for pitching.

Anyone have any thoughts? At what point does the temperature kill the yeast?

Lately, I have been pitching my yeast when the wort is cool, mid to low sixties, if that is the following morning or afternoon, so be it. I don't get anxious to pitch, rather than staying up late to pitch, I find it easier to just let the wort cool more and go to bed. The notion is instilled that we must pitch asap, but at what cost. Better to pitch late than hot IMHO

 

[nebben]

Probably about 300 Kelvin.

 

[dansdigs]

Thanks for the discussion everyone.

to sjbeerman: I took a lazy approach to cooling the beer further, and let it cool to 65 by sitting on the floor overnight. It's holding at 62-65. It seems to be going pretty well after two days, and no odd smells (from the highly scientific test of sniffing the airlock).

Time will tell if there are off flavors. Perhaps I'll taste a bit when I rack to the secondary.

 

[marc06]

I pitched WLP007 into 10 gallons of kolsch. It turned out with an overbearing fusel alcohol taste to it. I couldn't drink and and I was about to move so I dumped it.