# Pitching Yeast - To Stir Or Not



## antains (5/10/08)

For the most part, all my kits have been Coopers or Cascade and I've followed their directions fro sprinkling yeast over the top of the wort, sealing it up and letting it go to work.

Recently, I had a Black Rock brew that recommended stirring the yeast in. I stirred it in, gently, and the brew has been an active little tike.

How fragile is the yeast?
Does anyone else stir it in?
Or is that the standard practice?

Ant.


----------



## wambesi (5/10/08)

antains said:


> For the most part, all my kits have been Coopers or Cascade and I've followed their directions fro sprinkling yeast over the top of the wort, sealing it up and letting it go to work.
> 
> Recently, I had a Black Rock brew that recommended stirring the yeast in. I stirred it in, gently, and the brew has been an active little tike.
> 
> ...



Before I re hydrated I used to sprinkle it over the top, this was after aerating the wort, I never had a problem.
However after re hydrating now I notice it starts quicker, I still don't stir though just tip it in.

Stirring shouldn't hurt it at all IMO, but others may have different opinion/knowledge.


----------



## Effect (5/10/08)

Fermentis recommend stiring

http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=690

I wouldn't bother though...


----------



## razz (5/10/08)

Nup, don't bother anymore.


----------



## raven19 (5/10/08)

I have found generally yeast sachets take a while to get going, compared with yeast that is raring to go in liquid form, or rehydrated.
Stirring can be done - however ales will ferment in the top of the fermenter, lagers towards the bottom, and once the yeast gets going it shall move in the fermenter to where it is needed.
Also dependant on your wort temperature!
Cheers.


----------



## antains (6/10/08)

Thanks folks.
I think when I get more comfortable with my current processes, I'll follow up re-hydration. I don't want to add too many changes too close together, so I can monitor how successful my brews are.


----------



## katzke (7/10/08)

I dont do either. I put the yeast in first then pour the wort on top.

OK I guess that makes me a stirrer but not really.


----------



## antains (7/10/08)

katzke said:


> I don't do either. I put the yeast in first then pour the wort on top.
> 
> OK I guess that makes me a stirrer but not really.



That's really interesting.

Now, I'm thinking of the instructions that came with the Coopers kits, which indicates that you should get your O.G. before pitching yeast. Not being a chemical engineer, I had assumed that this was because the yeast begins its job straight away, so O.G. is not true if the yeast has been pitched.

How much can it really do in the time it takes to add the sugar, malt and water?
:unsure:


----------



## buttersd70 (7/10/08)

No, the yeast will have a lag time before it gets going.


----------



## antains (7/10/08)

buttersd70 said:


> No, the yeast will have a lag time before it gets going.



Which makes sense. So WTF is going on with the Coopers instructions?
No need to answer that one.
Since there seems to be no good or bad way to pitch the yeast (except for temperature shock), I'm just going to stick to trying to get an even spread across the top and letting it do its job.


----------



## SJW (7/10/08)

I dont stir, with eith liquid starters or dry yeast, but I do re-hydrate dry yeast prior to pitching


----------



## bayWeiss (7/10/08)

I just drop it in dry... then shake the you know what out of the fermenter. 

Haven't had any problems with this method.

Ale yeast will also bottom ferment. If you look closely, you can see CO2 bubbling from the bottom of the fermentation vessel.

cheers!


----------



## katzke (7/10/08)

antains said:


> Now, I'm thinking of the instructions that came with the Coopers kits, which indicates that you should get your O.G. before pitching yeast.
> :unsure:



I do full volume boils so the wort is all done and cooled before I dump it on the yeast.


----------



## mesa (7/10/08)

antains said:


> That's really interesting.
> 
> Now, I'm thinking of the instructions that came with the Coopers kits, which indicates that you should get your O.G. before pitching yeast. Not being a chemical engineer, I had assumed that this was because the yeast begins its job straight away, so O.G. is not true if the yeast has been pitched.
> 
> ...


 
I think Katzke was refering to an all grain brew where 23L of hot wort is prepared and cooled before being put ontop of the yeast. The reason you can't put the yeast in first and you need to get your O.G. is that the Coopers kit requires addition of very hot water to the goo to disolve it. The hot water will kill the yeast. The yeast won't significantly change the O.G. of the wort in the first few minutes (if you reuse a lot of yeast from a previous brew, it might give an artifically high reading as you measure the gravity of the yeast as well as the wort rather than just the wort.

Also I highly recomend rehydration.


----------



## antains (7/10/08)

mesa said:


> I think Katzke was refering to an all grain brew where 23L of hot wort is prepared and cooled before being put ontop of the yeast. ...
> 
> Also I highly recomend rehydration.



Ah-hah! I debated where to put this thread, because I wasn't sure if there's a difference between K&K and AG for pitching yeast. Right. Good. 

Thanks, mesa, for clearing that up.

Thanks, Katzke, for teaching me a bit about AG (with mesa as conduit).

And, um,


bayWeiss said:


> I just drop it in dry... then shake the you know what out of the fermenter.
> 
> Haven't had any problems with this method.
> 
> ...




This method goes against something else I learnt/read and I think I'll post a new thread to question battering worts, because not only was I under the impression that stirring yeast might freak it out, but I had to be fairly ginger with the wort, as well, because it is also temperamental. One instance I can think of is using a hose to ease the wort between fermenters to bulk prime, rather than just running the tap into the second fermenter.

<_<


----------



## Bribie G (7/10/08)

Last toucan (two Coopers lager original series) I did, just sprinkled only one of the kit yeasts on to the top of the thick foam in the fermenter after I had topped up with water and by next morning it was going gangbusters and frothing up throught the airlock. Glad I didn't stir or rehydrate or use a starting bottle


----------



## buttersd70 (7/10/08)

antains said:


> Ah-hah! I debated where to put this thread, because I wasn't sure if there's a difference between K&K and AG for pitching yeast. Right. Good.
> 
> Thanks, mesa, for clearing that up.
> 
> ...



Ant. Theres an easy answer to that question. Always treat wort with kid gloves to prevent any splashing, which causes oxidation. The one exception to that (well, usually. Theres almost always a usually.) is either just before/after pitching the yeast, when you want to get as much oxygen in there as you possibly can, cos the yeast will consume it in their initial life cycle. So you do the opposite, and shake the absolute crap out of it.

Edit...some shake then pitch, some pitch then shake.


----------



## antains (7/10/08)

buttersd70 said:


> Ant. Theres an easy answer to that question. Always treat wort with kid gloves to prevent any splashing, which causes oxidation. The one exception to that (well, usually. Theres almost always a usually.) is either just before/after pitching the yeast, when you want to get as much oxygen in there as you possibly can, cos the yeast will consume it in their initial life cycle. So you do the opposite, and shake the absolute crap out of it.



Cheers, butters. I accept your reply. However, I think I understand the Sorites paradox more than I understand the oxidation/crapshake paradox.  

Just jokes. Thanks very much.

Ant.


----------



## buttersd70 (7/10/08)

aahhhh, a philosoher. I love the parodox moot courts. "you can't go back in time and kill Hitler in his crib, otherwise you already would have." :lol:


----------



## antains (8/10/08)

buttersd70 said:


> aahhhh, a philosoher. I love the parodox moot courts. "you can't go back in time and kill Hitler in his crib, otherwise you already would have." :lol:



Love it! :beer:


----------

