# Should I Re-hydrate Dried Yeast?



## Truman42 (1/11/11)

I got a bit confused when doing my first AG on re-hydrating dried yeast and was told different things on here about if it needs to be done or not. I think I may have worded my post wrong so I just wanted to clear things up.

Do we need to re-hyrdate yeast following John Palmers instructions show here.

re-hydrate yeast


Or with modern day yeasts is this something we no longer worry about and can I just pitch it dry? Im using US05.

Thanks heaps.


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## argon (1/11/11)

Should you?... yes you'll get the best out of your yeast


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## 1975sandman (1/11/11)

I rehydrate US-05 by following the Fermentis instructions - add packet to 10 times it's own weight of boiled and cooled water into a sterilised glass jar at the start of the brew day, swirl gently every half hour or so to keep it mixed then pitch when wort at right temperature.

Note: I use an immersion chiller to chill to pitching temp.


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## MarkBastard (1/11/11)

You don't have to, but it apparently gives better results. I often don't do it. I just sprinkle on top of the wort and don't even stir it in. Probably takes a better longer to kick off but I've never noticed a difference in the finished beer.

I always rehydrate when using dry lager yeast though.


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## flano (1/11/11)

done both ....and cannot tell the difference.


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## Mikedub (1/11/11)

I think of rehydrating yeast as foreplay, it puts it in the mood before you stick it in, 

Just whacking it in dry could end in tears


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## Fourstar (1/11/11)

if your incapable of following the fermentis directions (or whatever brand you use), just pitch the yeast dry. If you are capable of performing their instructions and rehydrating the yeast correctly. Do it, it will be benificial. 

Read below to see why.



Fourstar said:


> slightly :icon_offtopic: but highly relevant.
> 
> im sure they handled their yeast and more so prepared it correctly too. :icon_cheers:
> 
> ...


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## kymba (1/11/11)

man, do we really need another rehydration thread? did you do any searching at all?


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## Dave70 (1/11/11)

As far as I can tell, the only point of re-hydration is to 'proof' the yeast buy adding a teaspoon of sugar to a cup of water and making sure it fires up. Saves the fretting in a few days time when the fermenter's sitting there dead as the Ok Tedi tailings dam.
I think fresh, well handled dry yeast actually contains more cells than liquid smack packets. So there's little point making a starter for a regular batch.

Of more importance is a well aerated wort to get the party started.


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## Fourstar (1/11/11)

Dave70 said:


> As far as I can tell, the only point of re-hydration is to 'proof' the yeast buy adding a teaspoon of sugar to a cup of water and making sure it fires up.




You're actually lowering your viability by doing this as the propose of rehydrating yeast is to get it ready for the job. While the yeast are rehydrating, their cell walls are fragile and giving them medium to chew on doesnt do them any favours and you end up with fatalities. You should rehydrate on the correct temperature water only. not wort or other sugars. *STARTERS* on the other hand is essentially proofing/building cell count.


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## manticle (1/11/11)

Forget John Palmer's instructions - follow the fermentis instructions found here: http://www.fermentis.com/fo/pdf/Tips-Tricks.pdf (scroll to the bottom of page 5).

I rarely rehydrate despite the alarmist cell counting evidence. I find little problems with this method. However if my beer is much above 1050 SG, I may rehydrate according to said instructions. It's easy enough and gives me peace of mind. I have made super tasty beers with a single pack of 05 in 1060 wort though (one of my recent ones got a fourth in Vicbrew) so it could just be one of those things to fuss over if you feel like it.

It's easy to make brewing complicated and sometimes it's fun but it's rarely necessary.

I reckon it's more important to get fresh, well handled yeast than to rehydrate.


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## Bribie G (1/11/11)

I'll double check on this but I'm sure that in part 2 of "Your Shout" on the history channel an Australian Craftbrewery is clearly shown pouring a shitload of dried yeast from a bulk pack straight onto a brew. I remember thinking "I bet that's S-04 " :lol: 
I'll fire up the IQ box later and have a look

I always rehydrate on the odd occasion that I use a fresh pack of dried, but it has been pointed out that anyone quoting Chris White is quoting a guy who makes a living out of liquid yeast.


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## MarkBastard (1/11/11)

Regarding cell count and viability, all that is well and true, but what are the reported outcomes of under pitching and what levels of under pitching produce what outcomes?

Who knows if they're talking about a brew taking longer than normal to ferment? Maybe they're thinking of commercial breweries that can only have a certain fermentation tank used for a certain amount of days.

Does it make the beer funky? Under attenuated?

If people are under pitching and don't notice these issues, does it really matter?


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## bkmad (1/11/11)

Bribie G said:


> I always rehydrate on the odd occasion that I use a fresh pack of dried, but it has been pointed out that anyone quoting Chris White is quoting a guy who makes a living out of liquid yeast.



I think this is an important point. Pretty much every time I've seen a reference on this site regarding a 50% drop in viability when not rehydrating, the reference is the Chris White. I haven't seen any other data to back his statement up (not that I've gone looking for it).


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## [email protected] (1/11/11)

bkmad said:


> I think this is an important point. Pretty much every time I've seen a reference on this site regarding a 50% drop in viability when not rehydrating, the reference is the Chris White. I haven't seen any other data to back his statement up (not that I've gone looking for it).



I am pretty sure this has been posted here before, in exactly the same kind of thread, which should make the regurgitation police happy....
here it is anyway http://koehlerbeer.com/2008/06/07/rehydrat...r-clayton-cone/


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## beerbog (1/11/11)

I've done both and haven't noticed any difference, same lag time and same amount of activity. Same FG after 14 days. It is easier just to sprinkle on top, providing you whip the wort up real good to oxygenate it first. :beerbang:


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## bkmad (1/11/11)

Beer4U said:


> I am pretty sure this has been posted here before, in exactly the same kind of thread, which should make the regurgitation police happy....
> here it is anyway http://koehlerbeer.com/2008/06/07/rehydrat...r-clayton-cone/



Thanks for that.
I find it interesting that the temperature of the water can have a drastic effect on viability. Looks like I can improve my practices a bit as I've been rehydrating but not been too fussed on getting the water temp right.


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## Greg.L (1/11/11)

In my experience, for beer it's fine to pitch dry yeast but for cider or wine you do need to rehydrate, it makes a big difference. The beer wort is so full of nutrient that the yeast recover quickly, but grape or apple juice are much tougher for the yeast to get going.


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## DUANNE (1/11/11)

bkmad said:


> I think this is an important point. Pretty much every time I've seen a reference on this site regarding a 50% drop in viability when not rehydrating, the reference is the Chris White. I haven't seen any other data to back his statement up (not that I've gone looking for it).




there was a basic brewing podcast were another bloke did the lab work and came out with a similar result as well.


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## Truman42 (1/11/11)

kymba said:


> man, do we really need another rehydration thread? did you do any searching at all?



Yes I did and found the same difference of opinions as I have on this thread.

Thank you to everyone for the informative replies. I will check out the link to the fermentis instructions, thanks Manticle once again.


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## thylacine (1/11/11)

Re rehydrating, or not...

"Basic Brewing Radio" podcast.

http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=radio

Episode: July 28, 2011 - BYO-BBR Yeast Rehydration Experiment


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## Chiro (1/11/11)

thylacine said:


> Re rehydrating, or not...
> 
> "Basic Brewing Radio" podcast.
> 
> ...



Thanks for that link. I read the PDF. I don't think I'll bother rehydrating. I have done it both ways and never noticed a difference.


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## Dave70 (2/11/11)

manticle said:


> Forget John Palmer's instructions - follow the fermentis instructions found here: http://www.fermentis.com/fo/pdf/Tips-Tricks.pdf (scroll to the bottom of page 5).



That's a good tip. Pitched an S05 last night at 17deg in that fashion and it's burping it's airlock off this morning. Hence forth, this shall be my dry yeast procedure.

A pox on Palmer and his needless sugary complication.


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## felten (2/11/11)

I think in the lastest edition of how to brew, the sugar reference is removed. You have to remember that the online edition is over a decade old now.


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## Truman42 (2/11/11)

Dave70 said:


> That's a good tip. Pitched an S05 last night at 17deg in that fashion and it's burping it's airlock off this morning. Hence forth, this shall be my dry yeast procedure.
> 
> A pox on Palmer and his needless sugary complication.



I did the same and its bubbling its head off less than 24 hrs later.


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## Feldon (2/11/11)

Dry pitching that results in the claimed 40% or 50% death rate for yeast cells could be a positive outcome for the brewer?

Those yeast cells that die presumably do so because they can't handle the osmotic pressure of the sugary wort. Before they can reyhrate properly their cell walls are not strong enough to hold back the worty tide, and they burst open and die. A good thing because weak yeast cells are more prone to producing off flavor compounds?

The cells that do not die are, comparatively, the healthiest and most robust. And it is they that go on to multiple (producing offspring with similar genetic traits for robustness?) until the free oxygen in the wort is all used up and then get to work making beer. 

Just a thought.


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## katzke (3/11/11)

I always rehydrate. I dump the yeast straight from the packet when the carboy is about half full of wort. That way it gets stirred up well and gets right to work. Have not had a bad beer sense changing to dry yeast. Costs a lot less then liquid and no worrying over if I got the little pack smacked or remembering to take the pack out of the fridge in time. I live about 2 hours from the plant and still by dry yeast.


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## Yob (3/11/11)

My train reading atm is the Yeast book by White and Zainsheff..

P124 "...that you properly rehydrate it following the manufacturers recommendations before pitching. Failure to rehydrate dry yeast properly will result in the death of approximatly half the cells"

US-05 for example has recommendations for rehydrating at +/- 3'c of 27'c, typically I like to pitch at fermenting temps (17-18'c) and the recommendations of this yeast say to ...10 times it's own weight for 15 mins, stir, and slowly add wort until the yeast is +/- 3'c of the wort you are pitching to"

Advised rehydration temps are rarely if ever, at fermenting temps...

I like this method and havnt had a stuck ferment (or problematic) since adopting it.

Whatever the yeast you are using, if you havnt had a look at what the manufacturers advice is then you are simply guessing and possibly stressing the yeast from the get go....

I mean... what the hell do the manufacturers know? <_<


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## thylacine (3/11/11)

iamozziyob said:


> My train reading atm is the Yeast book by White and Zainsheff..
> 
> P124 "...that you properly rehydrate it following the manufacturers recommendations before pitching. Failure to rehydrate dry yeast properly will result in the death of approximatly half the cells"
> 
> ...


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## pcmfisher (3/11/11)

iamozziyob said:


> I mean... what the hell do the manufacturers know? <_<



Yeah, a bit like reading the back of Coopers cans about fermenting temperatures.

What the hell would Coopers know?? :blink:


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## Yob (3/11/11)

pcmfisher said:


> Yeah, a bit like reading the back of Coopers cans about fermenting temperatures.
> 
> What the hell would Coopers know?? :blink:



that aint the topic soldier... 

and I think you will find that it's widely accepted that if you have no temp control, *as alot of new brewers dont*, then the yeast they supply can be tolerant of (mild) temp fluctuations and is a little more"forgiving" than many commercial "specialty" yeast.. 

how many kits do you think they would sell if they said you had to keep your first batch at 18 for the entire ferment... people would die of stress... I effing would have

I guess they should dismantle the lab and send that guy packing... <_<


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## boingk (3/11/11)

I rehydrate in a manner similar to the Fermentis instructions, except with a small pinch of raw sugar in there as well. Let stand while sterilising/pitching etc and then you're ready to go.

On the very odd occasion I've had a yeast not take off in the proofing jar, its saved me the hassle of a day or two wondering if I've got a dud yeast or not. All the rest have gone and done their thing pretty well, regardless of the yeast used.

All for rehydrating here.

Cheers - boingk


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## mesa99 (3/11/11)

iamozziyob said:


> I like this method and havnt had a stuck ferment (or problematic) since adopting it.



I'm with Yob, if you have issues with stuck fermentation, then re-hydrate could be your answer.


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## mondestrunken (25/4/16)

Hi guys.

Normally I do starters for liquid and dry yeast, but I thought I'd have a go at rehydrating a packet of S-04 rather than going through the whole starter process.

I found the fermentis "tips and tricks" http://en.calameo.com/read/00450712718b6039a5606, which I've never seen before, and I'm following those instructions. 



thylacine said:


> Whatever the yeast you are using, if you havnt had a look at what the manufacturers advice is then you are simply guessing and possibly stressing the yeast from the get go....
> 
> I mean... what the hell do the manufacturers know? <_<


The only problem is that the S-04 packet says just sprinkle it in, whereas the T&T guide has the information on rehydration. It's interesting to note that as far as I could see there's no link to the T&T under the homebrewers section, but only under the "craft brewing" section.


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## danestead (25/4/16)

mondestrunken said:


> Hi guys.
> 
> Normally I do starters for liquid and dry yeast, but I thought I'd have a go at rehydrating a packet of S-04 rather than going through the whole starter process.
> 
> ...


http://www.fermentis.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Safale-S-04-en.pdf

Straight from the munufacturer.


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## Ducatiboy stu (25/4/16)

You dont have to re-hydrate your yeast, but you can if you want to


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## pist (26/4/16)

Don't bother as i can't tell the difference, an extra step and extra cleaning that I don't feel is necessary


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## Seaquebrew (26/4/16)

You should always re-hydrate

Instructions - sprinkle dry yeast onto wort in fermenter, the yeast will take over from there

Cheers


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## Ducatiboy stu (26/4/16)

Seaquebrew said:


> You should always re-hydrate


Why ?


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## Seaquebrew (26/4/16)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> Why ?


Because yeast finds it tough to ferment the wort when it is dry

Smile 

Cheers


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## Benn (26/4/16)

New dissolvable dry yeast packaging set to hit the market late 2016; specially designed Inner pouch gradually disolves in unfermented wort. Patented packaging material allows for only H2o molecules to ingress to dried yeast cells within via osmotic action.
Should see the end of sprinkle vs rehydrate.


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## GalBrew (26/4/16)

danestead said:


> http://www.fermentis.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Safale-S-04-en.pdf
> 
> Straight from the munufacturer.


What is interesting from that PDF is the recommended pitching rate of 50-80g/100L. Using an 11.5g packet for the average 23L batch is right on 50g/hL, at the very bottom of the range. Any bigger batch or if you don't rehydrate and you have yourself a nice under pitch there. No wonder so many people can't get s-04 to finish out!


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## Bribie G (26/4/16)

The gospel according to Chris White in the "Yeast" book is that you should always rehydrate. On the other hand the dry yeast section is very short in the book and I wonder if it's because White is in the business of selling liquid yeast so glosses right over the dried varieties. My view is that if you are paying good money for a tiny sachet of dried granules you might as well keep as many of them alive as possible.


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## Beers Gone Wild (26/4/16)

Hi,

I use the Nottingham Ale Yeast and I re-hydrate it each time, its so easy to do so why not. I have tried it both ways, from my experience I definately get a better fermentation when the yeast is hydrated as per Instructions. Nottingham requires 30-35c water temp when rehydrating.

There is a reason why they say to rehyrdate your dry yeast. This exerpt is taken from the manufacturers website - http://www.danstaryeast.com/about/frequently-asked-questions. 

*"Dry beer yeast needs to be reconstituted in a gentle way. During rehydration the cell membrane undergoes changes which can be lethal to yeast. In order to reconstitute the yeast as gently as possible (and minimize/avoid any damage) yeast producers developed specific rehydration procedures. Although most dry beer yeast will work if pitched directly into wort, it is recommended to follow the rehydration instructions to insure the optimum performance of the yeast."*

I want optimum performance from my yeast when brewing.


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## Ducatiboy stu (26/4/16)

Seaquebrew said:


> Because yeast finds it tough to ferment the wort when it is dry


Give that yeast a beer then if it is dry


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## Ducatiboy stu (26/4/16)

Seaquebrew said:


> Because yeast finds it tough to ferment the wort when it is dry


Give that yeast a beer then if it is dry


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## Ducatiboy stu (26/4/16)

Benn said:


> New dissolvable dry yeast packaging set to hit the market late 2016; specially designed Inner pouch gradually disolves in unfermented wort. Patented packaging material allows for only H2o molecules to ingress to dried yeast cells within via osmotic action.
> Should see the end of sprinkle vs rehydrate.


What if you re-hydrate the packaging first ?


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## danestead (26/4/16)

Seaquebrew said:


> You should always re-hydrate
> 
> Instructions - sprinkle dry yeast onto wort in fermenter, the yeast will take over from there
> 
> Cheers


I'm not sure if this is meant to be a joke or not, however if it is, it's probably not really welcomed as it will only confuse a new home brewer.

For those new to the game, rehydrating refers to hydrating the dry yeast in water, not wort. The reason why you do not want to rehydrate your yeast in wort is because the higher gravity, or osmotic pressure, places extra strain on that yeast coming back to life. You can either sprinkle your yeast straight onto the top of your wort in the fermenter which is referred to not rehydrating or you can rehydrate the yeast in water as per manufactures instructions which will suggest an ideal time and temperature. No need to 'rehydrate' in a sugary or wort solution as this is not beneficial for the yeast.


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## Seaquebrew (26/4/16)

danestead said:


> I'm not sure if this is meant to be a joke or not, however if it is, it's probably not really welcomed as it will only confuse a new home brewer.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Ducatiboy stu (26/4/16)

Just sprinkle onto your wort

Save mucking about getting temps correct etc


And it works......as does re-hyrdating


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## Goose (26/4/16)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> Why ?


No doubt been posted before but here is one possible reason:

https://bkyeast.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/more-on-yeast-rehydration/


Which does not mean you can't make a good beer by not rehydrating first, but suggests to me that the chances are better if you do.


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## GalBrew (26/4/16)




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## Goose (26/4/16)

Might be worth posting the results of the above experiment to save a few clicks:


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## Ducatiboy stu (26/4/16)

Well that shows me that if you sprinkle at ferment temp, or re-hydrate at ferment temp then the viability is almost the same


Having the right temp to re-hyrdate is just another bit of dicking around



And there is plenty enough yeast in a pack, as has been experienced for years by simple brewers who have manged to make very good beer by simply sprinkling it on directly


And as has been asked before....has anyone ACTUALLY noticed a vast improvement in their beers from re-hyrating.....not just a " The book says so" answer




....now....where is that horse....


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## Goose (26/4/16)

I see nothing wrong with this debate and it aint no dead horse, as far as i am concerned its a mustang till its broken in.



> Well that shows me that if you sprinkle at ferment temp, or re-hydrate at ferment temp then the viability is almost the same


low compared to optimum agreed, but still more than double ?




> Having the right temp to re-hyrdate is just another bit of dicking around


yes agreed but some of us like to dick around it improves the chances of making a better brew. in fact as homebrewers we're probably all dicks because we could also just go buy it if we didn't want to dick around.



> And as has been asked before....has anyone ACTUALLY noticed a vast improvement in their beers from re-hyrating.....not just a " The book says so" answer



that's a loaded one mate,, pretty sure some do and some don't. To me its all about improving the chances of making a good or better brew. Personal choice really.


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## Ducatiboy stu (26/4/16)

Goose said:


> that's a loaded one mate,, pretty sure some do and some don't. To me its all about improving the chances of making a good or better brew. Personal choice really.


No, not really loaded....its been a question that has been raised a few times......without any actual answer......

I would be interested to see what the actual real world difference is, not just reading something and saying that it is so....

If all the extra effort does not produce a noticeable result than there really isnt much point.


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## Benn (26/4/16)

Has there ever been a serious side by side brew comparison conducted?


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## Goose (26/4/16)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> I would be interested to see what the actual real world difference is, not just reading something and saying that it is so....
> 
> If all the extra effort does not produce a noticeable result than there really isnt much point.


if you ask me, a big part of a successful brew is pitching the necessary amount of yeast with the required cell vitality. Vitality and viability are different things but you have to start with viability. You cant have vitality without viability.

If you believe that there is no significant difference in the final product whether you pitch dry or rehydrate, then maybe you are implying that the necessary minimum vitality rate is lower than reported by the conventional yeast pitching calculators available to us on the net. 

It might well be the case. 

But if you believe (or believe the above experiment results) that rehydration increases cell viability then your chances of a more successful brew should still be better with rehydration. Again, personal choice.


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## GalBrew (26/4/16)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> Well that shows me that if you sprinkle at ferment temp, or re-hydrate at ferment temp then the viability is almost the same
> 
> 
> Having the right temp to re-hyrdate is just another bit of dicking around
> ...


That graph tells me that if you rehydrate your yeast viability is double that if you just pitch directly. How much more of an increase do you need FFS? Are you seriously saying that double the yeast viability won't make a difference? I have noticed a difference in my beers when I started pitching the appropriate amount of yeast be it dry or liquid.


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## Feldon (26/4/16)

The most interesting thing about this debate is why the big yeast companies are so obscure about which practice is best?

Perhaps they just don't know, yet. Research into yeast is still underway. Much still to be learned.

People should keep in mind that yeast used in commercial breweries experience a very different environment to what we home brewers provide them. The effect of pressure at depth in the huge fermenters they use has to factored into consideration when working out a best viable cell count for pitching yeast.

Anyway, forgive me for re-posting from this from Stu's famous thread (http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/74450-re-hydrate-v-not/ ) (possibly flagrant disregard of forum rules. Forgive me for I know not what I do).

I thought this was a good approach to yeast (but not life in general):

"[SIZE=medium]Sure, some yeast die if pitched dry direct into the wort. But maybe this is a good thing. They are weak yeast cells with cell walls that can't withstand the osmotic pressure of the wort. Good. Let the buggers die, and ferment your beer with decendants of the remaining strong, thick walled yeast. [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]Call it a eugenics approach."[/SIZE]


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## Goose (26/4/16)

Feldon said:


> I thought this was a good approach to yeast (but not life in general):
> 
> "[SIZE=medium]Sure, some yeast die if pitched dry direct into the wort. But maybe this is a good thing. They are weak yeast cells with cell walls that can't withstand the osmotic pressure of the wort. Good. Let the buggers die, and ferment your beer with decendants of the remaining strong, thick walled yeast. [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]Call it a eugenics approach."[/SIZE]



That implies that the yeast that could not withstand the osmotic pressure could also not process wort.

Not sure about that assumption. Just because you can lift a ton, does that mean you can also spell it ?


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## danestead (26/4/16)

You know what, if getting the rehydration water the right temperature is too much dicking around, I might just throw some hot water in my mash next time and not bother using a thermometer because that is also too much dicking around for my busy life.

Yes my statement above is taking it to extremes, but seriously, any big company wanting exact repeatability, and I am talking mega breweries like Heineken etc, will be testing every single parameter and doing it the same each time to ensure repeatability. The smaller micro breweries like Feral, Bridge Road Brewers, Modus Operandi etc wouldn't likely measure as many parameters as the likes of Heineken in terms of yeast labs, measuring diacetyl through gas chromatography or however they do it but I see sticking a sanitised thermometer in my hydration water quite simple, and in my opinion, something worth doing to give myself the best possible chance of producing a quality product which I can reproduce time after time.

I strive to do everything exactly the same each time so that when I brew that particular brew again, it comes out the same.


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## Feldon (26/4/16)

Goose said:


> That implies that the yeast that could not withstand the osmotic pressure could also not process wort.
> 
> Not sure about that assumption. Just because you can lift a ton, does that mean you can also spell it ?


Not an assumption, a postulation.


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## danestead (26/4/16)

Feldon said:


> "[SIZE=medium]Sure, some yeast die if pitched dry direct into the wort. But maybe this is a good thing. They are weak yeast cells with cell walls that can't withstand the osmotic pressure of the wort. Good. Let the buggers die, and ferment your beer with decendants of the remaining strong, thick walled yeast. [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]Call it a eugenics approach."[/SIZE]


I read that as the living cells at the end are possibly from stronger genes if you will, however they have had the shit kicked out of them and are lying on the foot path almost unconscious.


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## Goose (26/4/16)

Feldon said:


> Not an assumption, a postulation.


Indeed your postulation could be correct.

But what if I postulate that the yeast that would survive by rehydration in water, but also likely to die in a direct wort pitch, are perhaps better at the fermentation task ?

Ok enough crap, just for a laugh


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## wobbly (26/4/16)

Benn said:


> Has there ever been a serious side by side brew comparison conducted?


This is the the only comparison I have seen where there is tabulated results comparing re-hydration "Temperature vs Water vs Wort". Then if the results are correct (and there is nothing to say they aren't) then re-hydration in wort results in about only 56% viability compared to that re-hydrated in water

There have been lots of comments along the lines of "show me the test results" rather than just quoting so called published opinions with out detailed supporting tests results. 

Not suggesting for one moment that this test will change the view of those that have committed to the view that it is not necessary (and is possibly a waste of time) to re-hydrate but for the rest of us it supports that we are on the right path

This result seems to support data/methodology by the manufacturers to re-hydrate for optimum performance and also supports Mr Malty values of around 20 billion cells per gram

http://seanterrill.com/2011/04/01/dry-yeast-viability/

Cheers

Wobbly


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## danestead (26/4/16)

Another thing I've been thinking about is that I believe most people would agree that rehydrating yeast will result in a greater number of viable, healthy yeast, however I think a lot tend to argue that not rehydrating is better because they don't want the extra effort or additional sanitation risk.

I think those 2 things are different questions.

1. Does rehydrating or dry pitching produce more viable, healthy yeast?
2. Do you prefer to rehydrate or dry pitch your yeast? - I don't think this question refers to numbers of viable yeast, although I think many people misunderstand it as such.


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## Moog (26/4/16)

I have a question regarding the method of rehydrating.....It I use some boiled water cooled to the right temp, If I have to let it sit for half an hour, then re-stir, the temp will have dropped of, what suggestions are there to keep it constant?
Would a stubby holder do the trick?


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## Feldon (26/4/16)

Another thing that is seldom mentioned when people say they rehydrate their yeast is how they actually go about it, and in what time frame. Do it wrong and you'll kill a lot of your yeast cells.

Its actually quite a tricky procedure to do properly - stepping the water temp down from, say, 30C initially, in 5 or 10 degree increments down to pitching temp using doses of cooler wort . And more so if you intend to pitch the yeast into a low temp lager wort. And no stirring in the early stages of rehydration, and all the while you need to keep it all clean and sanitary as you go. You only have about half an hour from adding water to the dry yeast to eventually pitching the yeast slurry into the wort. Its not something I'd recommend to new brewers - there's enough to learn and accomplish in the early days without adding to the list.


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## danestead (26/4/16)

Moog said:


> I have a question regarding the method of rehydrating.....It I use some boiled water cooled to the right temp, If I have to let it sit for half an hour, then re-stir, the temp will have dropped of, what suggestions are there to keep it constant?
> Would a stubby holder do the trick?


Personally, considering comfortable room temperatures are about 20-25 degrees, you shouldn't see much drop in the temperature of the water. For US-05 it is recommended to do it at 27 degrees +- 3 degrees, so I'd be surprised if it changed by more than a degree or 2. If you are really worried, warm it to 30 degrees and let it cool. It'll still be within the recommended temperature. Otherwise, you could sit it in a bigger container of water to regulate the temperature better.

I see the best temperature for rehydrating as something you want to get close to, but no need for nailing it to the tenths of a degree.


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## danestead (26/4/16)

Feldon said:


> Another thing that is seldom mentioned when people say they rehydrate their yeast is how they actually go about it, and in what time frame. Do it wrong and you'll kill a lot of your yeast cells.
> 
> Its actually quite a tricky procedure to do properly - stepping the water temp down from, say, 30C initially, in 5 or 10 degree increments down to pitching temp using doses of cooler wort . And more so if you intend to pitch the yeast into a low temp lager wort. And no stirring in the early stages of rehydration, and all the while you need to keep it all clean and sanitary as you go. You only have about half an hour from adding water to the dry yeast to eventually pitching the yeast slurry into the wort. Its not something I'd recommend to new brewers - there's enough to learn and accomplish in the early days without adding to the list.


A text I read some time ago, which I can;t remember the name of, recommended pitching the rehydrated yeast within 8 degrees of the wort temperature. Thins could be done by putting it in the fridge and stirring every 5 mins.


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## Benn (26/4/16)

Following on from wobbly's reply to my question earlier today, it would be interesting to taste the results of the same wort i.e double batch split between two identical fermenters fermented under exactly the same conditions. Only difference being that one fermenter gets sprinkled and the other gets rehydrated yeast. Surely it's been done.


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## MHB (26/4/16)

Goose said:


> Might be worth posting the results of the above experiment to save a few clicks:


Can you supply where that is from?
Is it from a valid source, or just a pretty picture that someone drew to illustrate an opinion.
Mark
Sorry found it, will read
Mark


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## Elz (26/4/16)

So ideally the brewer should rehydrate in H2O at 33oC and the poor into worth at temp of 25oC. Optimum yeast use? In this scenario not using a starter.


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## louistoo (26/4/16)

lazy brew said:


> I rehydrate US-05 by following the Fermentis instructions - add packet to 10 times it's own weight of boiled and cooled water into a sterilised glass jar at the start of the brew day, swirl gently every half hour or so to keep it mixed then pitch when wort at right temperature.
> 
> Note: I use an immersion chiller to chill to pitching temp.


Fermentis advises a period of just 45 min to one hour hydration with almost constant gentle stirring for last half an hour, at 27c + or - 3c
Shit another hydration discussion huh, still following these directions and using correct amount has improved my beers I reckon.


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## Ducatiboy stu (26/4/16)

Feldon said:


> Anyway, forgive me for re-posting from this from Stu's famous thread (http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/74450-re-hydrate-v-not/ ) (possibly flagrant disregard of forum rules. Forgive me for I know not what I do).



I know what you did,.....


For the love of god, lock that thread and appreciate it like a fine painting, with a beer in hand..


....that and I dont really think we need another 23 pages........


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## Ducatiboy stu (26/4/16)

Benn said:


> Following on from wobbly's reply to my question earlier today, it would be interesting to taste the results of the same wort i.e double batch split between two identical fermenters fermented under exactly the same conditions. Only difference being that one fermenter gets sprinkled and the other gets rehydrated yeast. Surely it's been done.


Actually, no it hasnt. Not on our sort of level. If it had we wouldn't be having this conversation.



Feldon said:


> Another thing that is seldom mentioned when people say they rehydrate their yeast is how they actually go about it, and in what time frame. Do it wrong and you'll kill a lot of your yeast cells.
> 
> Its actually quite a tricky procedure to do properly - stepping the water temp down from, say, 30C initially, in 5 or 10 degree increments down to pitching temp using doses of cooler wort . And more so if you intend to pitch the yeast into a low temp lager wort. And no stirring in the early stages of rehydration, and all the while you need to keep it all clean and sanitary as you go. You only have about half an hour from adding water to the dry yeast to eventually pitching the yeast slurry into the wort. Its not something I'd recommend to new brewers - there's enough to learn and accomplish in the early days without adding to the list.


And that is kinda the point.

Its not just a matter of just adding some warm water to a flask and sitting back....you could end up doing more damage than good.....


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## Black Devil Dog (26/4/16)




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## technobabble66 (26/4/16)

Goose said:


> That implies that the yeast that could not withstand the osmotic pressure could also not process wort.
> 
> Not sure about that assumption. Just because you can lift a ton, does that mean you can also spell it ?


Bingo. I'd assume the eugenics theory from DS is mostly tongue in cheek, but in case anyone is mildly influenced by it, all it means is that those cells that are strong at handling strong osmotic pressure have survived. This in no way indicates their ability to process wort in a way we would find favorable. In fact, it could be argued that those that "specialise" in osmotic pressure strength are more likely to be weaker in other areas, such as clean fermentation....
2c


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## Benn (26/4/16)

Side by side experiment could be a good trial for a brew club etc, good number of blind tasters on hand to taste the results once it's all done.


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## Benn (26/4/16)

Don't know what happens at brew clubs, I'm too far away from the action to be involved in one. I've kind of got my own one going but it's just me and mum & dad and they hate my beer so it's a pretty shit time when club night rolls around.


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## danestead (26/4/16)

Some people like to hate brulosophy, however Im pretty sure he did a dry vs rehydrated experiment for those interested.


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## danestead (26/4/16)

http://brulosophy.com/2014/09/15/sprinkled-vs-rehydrated-dry-yeast-exbeeriment-results/

There it is.


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## Wall (26/4/16)

Maybe something else to consider is the situation you're brewing in.
If I'm aiming to pitch with dry yeast then rehydrate, when wort is almost ready so I can keep an eye on the clock, treat with kid gloves etc etc.

If I'm brewing a high grav beer, however, I'll often take the second runnings and do another batch with it if it's still early enough in the day, if there's a free fermenter, how lazy I feel and all the other million things to consider.
The first batch gets the starter I've prepped.

Then I grab a dry yeast from the fridge and pitch onto the wort last thing before I clean my kettle.

At that point the optimum pitch is dry yeast tipped onto wort.
Could be a lot better to treat the yeast with a little respect but I've never been bowled over by how bad the beer turned out.

Off track a little I know and I apologise but I kind of feel that dry yeast has a pretty important role in brewing where convenience can out weigh the perfect scenario.

Guess what I'm saying is let's not go putting dry yeast in a bad light with this. It's good stuff.


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## Thefatdoghead (27/4/16)

I cant be fucked reading all the ramblings so im just going to pipe up with something i heard a septic say.

Rehydrate dry yeast isnt the question you need to ask. 
The question is how many soldiers do i need to make my beautiful maltose into the best tasting beer it can be.

Yes yes the style and attenuatuon matter as well although something very overlooked by many is numbers.

Were scared of pitching to low....

If you dont use liquid and dont ise starters with liquid then no problem. 

If using dry with 1.040 wort or lower then big problem. 

Yeast will strip aroma out of hops and flavour out of malt. 

Piont is should you rehydrate yeast. **** YES! But depending on the gravity and type of beer or what esters you want you may only want to pitch half of that healthy hydrated yeast. 

OR you could just chuck it in dry....it still works ay. Saves heaps of time. (Sarcasm)


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## MHB (27/4/16)

Looking at the data in two of the "studies" above there is a lot of room for concern
The one with the pretty graph (bkyeast.files) shows rehydrating in water at ~18oC giving something like 25% viability
The other shows (Dry Yeast Viability) 79%
Now in any experiment I would expect some variation but 316%?

I suppose that on the world wide wobbly you can find very convincing data to support any opinion you have. If you want a sensible answer do some very critical reading because there is a seriously large amount of BS out there that needs filtering!
Mark


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## Ducatiboy stu (27/4/16)

danestead said:


> http://brulosophy.com/2014/09/15/sprinkled-vs-rehydrated-dry-yeast-exbeeriment-results/
> 
> There it is.


Interesting reading

_Will I continue to rehydrate dry yeast before pitching? Yeah, I think so, despite the fact less than half of the experienced beer drinkers (BJCP judges and Cicerone beer servers included) who participated in the triangle test were unable to accurately choose the beer that was different. Do I think sprinkling dry yeast directly onto wort is poor practice? Not anymore! Some people even seem to prefer whatever character they detected from the beer fermented in this manner. I do believe, though, that with higher OG comes increased risk of yeast off-flavor and that the insurance provided by rehydration may be of benefit. Or maybe not, who knows… I smell another exBEERiment in the works!_


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## tavas (27/4/16)

Why is it so hard for people to just try stuff instead of asking for 1000 opinions? How much does a pack of dry yeast cost? $5? Split batch, rehydrate into 1, dry pitch in the other. See what works for you.

If people are really worried about 50% vitality then pitch 2 packs.


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## GalBrew (27/4/16)

And so concludes another epic debate. Truly one for the ages. I guess we can start up again in another couple of months when the next noob starts a new thread rather than use the search function and trawl through the other 500 of these.........


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## Ducatiboy stu (27/4/16)

tavas said:


> Why is it so hard for people to just try stuff instead of asking for 1000 opinions?


....um....well.........because this is the internet...?


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## danestead (27/4/16)

GalBrew said:


> And so concludes another epic debate. Truly one for the ages. I guess we can start up again in another couple of months when the next noob starts a new thread rather than use the search function and trawl through the other 500 of these.........


Hey, who said we're done?


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## Ducatiboy stu (27/4/16)

Well.... we are getting good at re-hydrading old topics..


Not sure how viable it is but....


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## Seaquebrew (27/4/16)

danestead said:


> I'm not sure if this is meant to be a joke or not, however if it is, it's probably not really welcomed as it will only confuse a new home brewer.


I'm just glad I stopped misleading new brewers, otherwise this could have become a real confusing shit fight

Cheers


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## Goose (27/4/16)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> Well.... we are getting good at re-hydrading old topics..
> 
> 
> Not sure how viable it is but....


You love it


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## Goose (27/4/16)

Seaquebrew said:


> I'm just glad I stopped misleading new brewers, otherwise this could have become a real confusing shit fight
> 
> Cheers


It is no shit fight, its a matter of choice.

If I may quote a post that I liked from a contributor here :



> The biggest problem I have is with the notion that a variable can be considered in isolation. Take the idea that you can mash for 30 minutes, you can but that will change the nature of your wort, Beer is a natural process that almost wants to happen so that one change may not have a big impact. Do a 30 minute boil again in isolation it might not have a big impact on a well mashed wort.
> BUT - do both together and the "Minor" changes accumulate, the beer will be noticeably different - the old *how many corners can you cut off a square before it looks more like a circle*.
> Same applies to every step in the brewing process, they are all interdependent the finished beer is the culmination of all the ingredients and processes used during its production. Or as I have said before - everything you do ends up in the glass.


of course you can make great beer by not rehydrating dried yeast, but it seems to me that if you don't then it is another corner that is cut and how many you decide to cut is up to you.


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## Ducatiboy stu (27/4/16)

Goose said:


> It is no shit fight, its a matter of choice.
> 
> If I may quote a post that I liked from a contributor here :
> 
> ...



Its not cutting corners of it makes no difference at the end of the day.

Its just a matter of which 2 methods you want to use


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## Matplat (27/4/16)

Everyone loves to hate this topic.... but you can't deny it get's everyone going every time!

3 and a half pages in 2 days,


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## kaiserben (27/4/16)

Sprinkling: 60% of the time, it works every time.


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## danestead (27/4/16)

kaiserben said:


> Sprinkling: 60% of the time, it works every time.


Sprinkling: 60% of the time it kills the yeast every time!


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## Ducatiboy stu (27/4/16)

danestead said:


> Sprinkling: 60% of the time it kills the yeast every time!


um.... no...well maybe some of the yeast some of the time, not all the yeast 60% of the time


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## nala (27/4/16)

Only ever sprinkled,never had a problem, ah well, time for a change then.


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## Ducatiboy stu (27/4/16)

nala said:


> Only ever sprinkled,never had a problem, ah well, time for a change then.


I am surprised that you managed to make beer at all with out re-hydrating your dried yeast, unless of course you followed the instructions on the pack to sprinkle it on......


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## danestead (27/4/16)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> I am surprised that you managed to make beer at all with out re-hydrating your dried yeast, unless of course you followed the instructions on the pack to sprinkle it on......


Maybe he was brewing according to the Reinheitsgebot of 1516 and just let nature do what it wanted.


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## Ducatiboy stu (27/4/16)

danestead said:


> Maybe he was brewing according to the Reinheitsgebot of 1516 and just let nature do what it wanted.


Good point


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## tavas (27/4/16)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> ....um....well.........because this is the internet...?


Yeah sorry, I don't know what came over me, trying to use logic in a yeast rehydrating debate. Clearly I'm an amateur at this interwebs thingy


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## Ducatiboy stu (27/4/16)

tavas said:


> Yeah sorry, I don't know what came over me, trying to use logic in a yeast rehydrating debate. Clearly I'm an amateur at this interwebs thingy


Yes, well using logic in a yeast debate is a rookie mistake....


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## GalBrew (27/4/16)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> Yes, well using logic in a yeast debate is a rookie mistake....


Very true.


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## Goose (28/4/16)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> Its not cutting corners of it makes no difference at the end of the day.
> 
> Its just a matter of which 2 methods you want to use


Isn't this all about a viable starting cell count in the pitch ?

I have really screwed up by underpitching dried yeast before. Ive detailed it on an S-189 thread but my case was a little more complicated as I saw no difference in rehydrating or sprinkling to the end result. I later realised it was because i was underpitching using both methods. And I was underpitching because I omitted to include the manufacturers' minimum viability specification in my calculations as it varies significantly by strain.

the learning for me after a stack of wasted double batches was never underpitch. 

dry pitching may well give you that required cell count, even if a bunch of them die in the process of waking up. So it still works in the end, IF you pitch enough of it.

it seems to me there is at least some evidence out there that rehydration increases starting viable cell count, so your chances of hitting that required threshold are higher, if you do.


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## Ducatiboy stu (28/4/16)

Think of the kittens.....


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## Ducatiboy stu (28/4/16)

Goose said:


> the learning for me after a stack of wasted double batches was never underpitch.


Also true of liquid or any other form of yeast


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## tavas (28/4/16)

it seems to me there is at least some evidence out there that rehydration increases starting viable cell count, so your chances of hitting that required threshold are higher, if you do.


If you correctly rehydrate


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## danestead (28/4/16)

tavas said:


> it seems to me there is at least some evidence out there that rehydration increases starting viable cell count


I think it is fairly common knowledge that this is the case and that isn't what is being debated.

I think the debate is misunderstood. I posted above that I think the debate is actually about whether people think the extra effort of rehydrating and the extra risk of infection is worth the extra viability you achieve.



> so your chances of hitting that required threshold are higher, if you do.


In a way I agree with that, and in a way I don't. My assumption, and it is in fact an assumption, is that when rehydrating, you will end up with a more consistent % of viable yeast cells. That is, and I'm making up numbers, you may have a 85-90% (small range of percentages) viable count when rehydrating. If sprinkling, I think the spread would be greater, and again I'm making numbers up, but between 25-40% (large range of percentages, in fact, 40% is almost double 25%) viable cells. In that regard I think you will find it harder to pitch an accurate number of yeast cells when sprinkling as it's quite a broad range.

On the other hand, I have a mate who is a sprinkler. He pitches an extra packet of yeast because he knows that sprinkling results in less viable yeast. So in his belief, he is still pitching a correct quantity of viable yeast due to the extra he added as opposed to rehydrating.


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## Moad (28/4/16)

Sorry if this has already been posted. I googled "rehydrate yeast science"

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2050-0416.2011.tb00482.x/epdf


*Conclusion*

"It is clear from this study that the method of rehydration may play a particularly important role in maintaining popula-tion health and yeast slurry viability. Specifically, incom-plete rehydration, or rehydration at a sub-optimal tem-perature, is likely to result in impaired viability. While the current study has focused on the rehydration of yeast un-der laboratory conditions, these results may indicate that directly pitching ADY into wort (particularly cooler, lager type worts) could potentially result in viability loss and negatively influence fermentation performance. Further-more, it is suggested that the optimum temperature of rehydration should be determined for each individual ADY strain and that these guidelines should be applied in the brewery in order to help ensure yeast viability and final product quality."




There are still corners of the square as it was put earlier, the temperature of the rehydration liquid is just as important as whether or not to rehydrate. You could be doing more damage by rehydrating at the wrong temp. 

Personally I find the risk does not justify the reward. It might be my palate but I found no discernible difference rehydrating dried yeast, that isn't to say someone else could tell the difference...


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## danestead (28/4/16)

Moad said:


> You could be doing more damage by rehydrating at the wrong temp.


I do understand where you are coming from however according to the graph a few pages back, in all cases at a certain temperature, the rehydration in water method resulted in more viable yeast, about 100% more viable yeast at that, as compared to the rehydration in a starter solution as I think the gravity of that would more likely reflect a standard 1.050ish beer than a high gravity, high IBU wort. The only times rehydration in water would be worse off than rehydration in a starter wort or in fact high OG, high IBU wort would be if you rehydrated in very cool water compared to pitching into very warm (30ish degrees) wort (rehydration in starter). Most advanced brewers would be very particular about what temperature they pitch their yeast at, so I find it very unlikely that they would be pitching in the high 20s to low 30s so in my opinion, dry yeast rehydrated in water of almost any reasonable temperature is going to result in more viable yeast.

Would you still agree with your above statement?


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## Moad (28/4/16)

I was paraphrasing the study I linked to, not really my personal opinion.

"Specifically, incom-plete rehydration, or rehydration at a sub-optimal tem-perature, is likely to result in impaired viability"

You do make a good point and it would be more valid if that graph had a source or some scientific justification to back it up. Again, not saying it is wrong but the article I referenced at least appears to be based on science (even if it was financed by Lallemand). 


More from the linked article:

"The temperature of rehydration is believed to be particularly important in avoiding structural damage as a result of phase transition events (characterised by a loss of fluidity) within the plasma membrane. Such events may be avoided by rehydration at a temperature above the phase transition temperature of the cell membrane, which may lead to improved viability in certain yeast strains. However, thermal tolerance in yeast is also known to be strain dependent and determined by factors such as the presence of protectants and synthesis of heat shock proteins"

More variables once again - strain dependant.

I don't think there will ever be a one size fits all answer to the age old question. Strain, rehydration temp, yeast age, OG, wort compostion are a few of many variables that might make sprinkling or rehydrating a better option in any given situation.


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## MHB (28/4/16)

The recommended pitching rates are an equation that includes wort gravity and is a range of values
For ale typically its somewhere around 0.5-1Million cells per mL per point of Plato
For lager typicalli1-1.5 million cells per mL per point of Plato

For a 23L Ale wort at 1.050 (12.5oP). 23Exp3 * 12.5 * 0.5Exp6 = 143,750,000,000 1.4375Exp11 (at 0.5mil) to 287,500,000,000 or 2.875Exp11
If Dry yeast contains 20 Billion 20,000,000,000 (2Exp10) at 100%, an 11g pitch gives 2.2Exp11
It would take a braver brewer than me to assume that you are going to get 100% viability under any circumstances, but clearly if your yeast is fresh, well looked after and according to most reports carefully and properly hydrated it represents a pretty reasonable pitch. Even dry pitched at say 45% viability gives 9.9exp10 (pretty close to 1Exp11) so a serviceable pitch if not quite ideal

Mark


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## Ducatiboy stu (28/4/16)

Maybe there is a danger of overpitching yeast if you hydrate it to the letter of the law.......

Maybe a kitten could consume some of the excess yeast cells .....


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## danestead (28/4/16)

MHB said:


> The recommended pitching rates are an equation that includes wort gravity and is a range of values
> For ale typically its somewhere around 0.5-1Million cells per mL per point of Plato
> For lager typicalli1-1.5 million cells per mL per point of Plato
> 
> ...


I used to use dry yeast (US-05 in particular) for brews wanting a clean ale yeast. I got a few comments on score sheets of diacetyl in those beers although I couldn't taste it. My palate was not as developed as it is now though, so it may have been there but in low amounts. Because of the diacetyl comments I switched to liquid yeast only to see if that rid myself of the diacetyl problem at the next round of competitions. It's now about 18 months down the track and to be honest, I can't remember what the comments were in last year's competitions, I'd have to dig them up. I do wonder though, if I was getting an insufficient pitch of dry yeast due to pack viability or rehydration process. As far as I can remember, I did rehydrate according to the Fermentis instructions at 27 deg +- 3 degrees and for the appropriate time (can't remember what that was).


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## MHB (28/4/16)

When judging and I come across inappropriate Diacetyl in a beer, it is usually from under pitching (or unhealthy, under-aerated, yeast stress!) in many cases there are other signs that the yeast isn't happy but Diacetyl is usually the first sign.

The old saying _"we make wort, yeast makes beer"_ is all too true.
Mark


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## danestead (28/4/16)

MHB said:


> The old saying _"we make wort, yeast makes beer"_ is all too true.
> Mark


I agree so much. In the beginning a brewer thinks that yeast is the easy part. You throw it in and beer results. It's not until you've got on top of the other things that you realise yeast is the hardest part of the process, for me anyway.


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## Goose (28/4/16)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> Also true of liquid or any other form of yeast


Yes, but you are dodging my point. But thats ok, I'm getting too old to make points anymore. Its pointless.

the question is, do you believe that rehydrating yeast correctly increases your viable starting cell count. If you do not, rehydration is pointless. 

but even if you do believe that a correct rehydration improves your starting viable cell count, I agree you don't have to rehydrate, so long as you pitch enough.


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## Ducatiboy stu (28/4/16)

No one would believe what I believe


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## Tropico (28/4/16)

OK, the question is: "should I rehydrate yeast?".

Well..... if it turns you on, then do it, but only in an appropriate place, at an appropriate time.

If it doesn't feel good then don't do it.

If it makes other people feel bad, then weigh up the cost/benefit ratio and apply it against your empathy/sociopathy

Decisions, decisions, decisions!


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## Moad (28/4/16)

OT but should I rehydrate yeast?


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## MHB (28/4/16)

_*Probably*_


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## Tropico (28/4/16)

Yes. either in water or wort.


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## boybrewer (28/4/16)

It depends on whether you are anal or lazy . If you are lazy its still going to make beer . If you are anal you are still going to make beer . This just depends on how good you can cook .


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## Blind Dog (28/4/16)

Moad said:


> OT but should I rehydrate yeast?


Based on instructions from fermentis, the answer is Yes, if you believe that the word 'alternatively' means 'if you're lazy and want a suboptimal outcome, then do this instead'. I've looked in my dictionary and it doesn't give that definition. My dictionary defines 'alternatively' as 'another option' without any suggestion that it might be a better or worse one.

Which is actually a tad annoying as I was firmly in the 'rehydrate unless you're an idiot' camp until I actually bothered to read the manufacturers instructions.


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## Blind Dog (29/4/16)

beer belly said:


> It depends on whether you are anal or lazy . If you are lazy its still going to make beer . If you are anal you are still going to make beer . This just depends on how good you can cook .


What if you're anal and lazy and can't cook?


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## MHB (29/4/16)

Both processes work; there are consequences for either choice. 
Rehydrating your yeast *if you do it properly* should yield a higher viable cell count. That included using clean potable water with some mineral content being better than distilled/RoMo/ultra pure water; measuring the temperature of the water and hydrating at the right temperature for the strain used (see manufacturers instructions); doing so in a manner that doesn't contaminate the yeast (working sterile is a lot harder than people like to think); attemperiating the yeast to fermenting temperature, not doing so can kill as many as pitching dry.

Sprinkling the dry yeast onto the wort also works, again at a price in killed yeast, but there is a saving in time and risk of infection. When a manufacturer provides instructions follow them, that includes pitch rate, temperature, cooling rate, aeration...

I remember a couple of years ago when the Canberra Brewers went to the Wig and Pen, many favorable comments on the beer and abject horror at seeing the brewer climb up a ladder and sprinkle a brick of yeast straight into the fermenter. It works and one of the most respected craft brewers in the country regarded it as the best choice (at that time in that brewery in that beer) 

Guys it isn't an attack on our manhood when someone disagrees with us, lets not let this discussion get personal nor start a Hydration Jihad, we are talking about alternatives and their pros and cons, if other people reach a different conclusion to you... I love the old Rolling Stones line "Well he cant be a man cause he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me." 
Lets relax and enjoy the conversation.
Mark


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## Feldon (29/4/16)

Blessed are the sprinklers for they shall ferment the wort.


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## Feldon (29/4/16)

"Start up and stand an end. O gentle son, upon the heat and flame of thy distemper sprinkle cool patience."
W.S. _Hamlet_


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## manticle (29/4/16)

Thread pruned.
Please stay respectful and on topic.


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## boybrewer (30/4/16)

Blind Dog said:


> What if you're anal and lazy and can't cook?


Well I hope you are married


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