Comments on: Rehydrate your yeast http://www.brewerscache.com/blogs/2006/11/20/rehydrate-your-yeast/ A tasteful expedition into the fine art of craft brewing Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:53:14 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: bayWeiss http://www.brewerscache.com/blogs/2006/11/20/rehydrate-your-yeast/comment-page-1/#comment-47 bayWeiss Mon, 25 Dec 2006 22:17:29 +0000 http://www.brewerscache.com/blogs/?p=52#comment-47 I always create starters for my liquid yeasts, but never do for the dry ones. This is for three reasons. 1. The cell count on a dry pack is HUGE compared to the liquid cultures, typically there is no need given the gravity of my wort. 2. The dry yeast have some kind of food storage set in, and creating a starter would force the yeast to consume it (if I can remember correctly), and this is a bad thing. 3. Good dry yeast packets (US-56 or S-04) are so cheap I can buy a few packets for the price of a liquid pack. check out jamils website (you probably already know it) http://www.mrmalty.com I might do some experiments dry pitching the dry yeast, vs rehydrating, and see if there are any differences. I can say one thing, I dry pitched my last US-56 and there is a large amount yeast cake on the bottom. But, the difference might be in the flavor. cheers! I always create starters for my liquid yeasts, but never do for the dry ones. This is for three reasons.

1. The cell count on a dry pack is HUGE compared to the liquid cultures, typically there is no need given the gravity of my wort.
2. The dry yeast have some kind of food storage set in, and creating a starter would force the yeast to consume it (if I can remember correctly), and this is a bad thing.
3. Good dry yeast packets (US-56 or S-04) are so cheap I can buy a few packets for the price of a liquid pack.

check out jamils website (you probably already know it) http://www.mrmalty.com

I might do some experiments dry pitching the dry yeast, vs rehydrating, and see if there are any differences. I can say one thing, I dry pitched my last US-56 and there is a large amount yeast cake on the bottom. But, the difference might be in the flavor.

cheers!

]]> By: brewbaron http://www.brewerscache.com/blogs/2006/11/20/rehydrate-your-yeast/comment-page-1/#comment-46 brewbaron Mon, 25 Dec 2006 22:02:55 +0000 http://www.brewerscache.com/blogs/?p=52#comment-46 If you rehydrate your yeast using bottled water or water that has been sanitized through boiling ( and allowed to properly cool ), you won't have any sanitation issues. This advice came from Jamil from the Brewing Network. I have also heard similar advice from commerical brewers during interviews on the same program. You can get away with just pitching dry yeast, but your initial cell counts will be a lot better if the yeast is properly rehydrated. In truth, you should do much more than just rehydrate your yeast; you need to create a yeast starter. It is basically a very small scale batch of beer that allows the yeast to begin reproduction before pitching into primary batch of wort. If you rehydrate your yeast using bottled water or water that has been sanitized through boiling ( and allowed to properly cool ), you won’t have any sanitation issues. This advice came from Jamil from the Brewing Network. I have also heard similar advice from commerical brewers during interviews on the same program.

You can get away with just pitching dry yeast, but your initial cell counts will be a lot better if the yeast is properly rehydrated.

In truth, you should do much more than just rehydrate your yeast; you need to create a yeast starter. It is basically a very small scale batch of beer that allows the yeast to begin reproduction before pitching into primary batch of wort.

]]> By: bayWeiss http://www.brewerscache.com/blogs/2006/11/20/rehydrate-your-yeast/comment-page-1/#comment-45 bayWeiss Thu, 21 Dec 2006 22:38:08 +0000 http://www.brewerscache.com/blogs/?p=52#comment-45 Interesting, I have never heard this explanation about sugar entering the membrane. I have tried both approaches, and have found that not rehydrating is easiest, and safest... and it works. When rehydrating, I somehow lose a bunch of yeast, and am paranoid about contamination. With pitching the yeast dry, I have virtually no worries about contamination, and the fermentation tends to start off quickly. Where did you hear about this? cheers! Interesting, I have never heard this explanation about sugar entering the membrane. I have tried both approaches, and have found that not rehydrating is easiest, and safest… and it works. When rehydrating, I somehow lose a bunch of yeast, and am paranoid about contamination. With pitching the yeast dry, I have virtually no worries about contamination, and the fermentation tends to start off quickly.

Where did you hear about this?

cheers!

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