Yeast Nutrient

[619Brewer]

Who uses it? Who doesn't?

I haven't used it and curious to see if it makes a difference. I've never used it simply because my HBS said it's not necessary given our water profile and what not.

 

[petrolSpice]

Also interested in this. Yeast nutrients seem awfully cheap, so why not use it every time?

 

[Riot]

I try to use it but forget a fair amount of the time. In an all malt wort it really doesn't seem to make that big of a difference, the same recipe will attenuate the same in my experience, tho it may take an extra day or so. Starters I hit with nutrient and baking yeast, I want them to have an abundance of anything my yeast could need.

 

[Biergarden]

I don't use at all. There is plenty of Mg and Zn in the malt to keep the yeast robust. But if you're making mead, yeast nutrient is used along the way during fermentation because honey lacks these nutrients. I've heard of other people adding yeast to the boil as well, because that's all yeast nutrient is, that being dead yeast.
It might be a consideration for beers with very high OG. But I've never used it and my beers always seem to come out as designed to.

 

[tooldudetool]

I use the Wyeast beer nutrient every time because its $2.50 for a vial that lasts for 20+ batches, and Jamil recommends it. It's also recommended for yeast starters. My entire goal in life is keeping my yeast happy, so why not do it?

 

[Biergarden]

Agreed.
If it works, don't change it.

 

[pvault98]

I use it in my starters and in the brew kettle in the last few minutes for every batch. I like to use it because I harvest the yeast and repitch and the healthier each generation is the better off each future generation will be. I have comfortably gone to 5 and 6 generations and had no problems with attenuation or floculation. For how cheap it is, easy to use, and how long a bag of it lasts I don't see any reason not to use it.

 

[cjgenever]

ALWAYS with extract. A reduced amount with all grain.

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