Adding Dry Yeast to Kit brew

[lucanurs]

Hi there all

Very new to brewing and looks like a great community here to help.

After trying our first brew (Morgans Pilsener) and the gravity only dropping from 1.042 to 1.020 over a month we figure it's too late to add any new yeast and rescue it.

We are looking to start over using this Coopers Czech Cilsener recipe: http://store.coopers.com.au/recipes/index/view/id/19/

We've set up a fermenting freezer with a temp controller and heat belt so fermenting temp for this new recipe shouldn't be an issue.

With the added yeast suggested am thinking it should be okay.

When adding the yeast that the recipes suggest to stir and have been doing a little extra research and ye olde youtube recommends to give the fermenter a shake to get things going.

Our question is - shake or stir? Which do you recommend and how does it matter?

Ta

Luke and Urs

 

[Rocker1986]

I never bothered stirring or shaking, I just sprinkled the yeast over the top of the wort and left it. Later on I began re-hydrating the dry yeast but that's another topic. I'd probably keep the ferment temp around 12C for a cleaner flavour, maybe even 10C if the Coopers kit lager yeast will go that low.

 

[GalBrew]

If all you are pitching is the kit yeast (7g) dry, then you aren't really pitching sufficient yeast for a healthy ferment. At least get a 'non-kit' pack of dry yeast (11g). It will make a big difference, you could also rehydrate but that's another story.

 

[ChefKing]

Better quality yeast is an excellent start. I use for all my ales US-05, and results have been fantastic.. First started sprinkling on top when I got the fermenter down to 18c... Now I re-hydrate to give it a running start... Never had a problem.

 

[manticle]

Stir, whisk or shake.
Be clean and sanitary, effect will be similar.
Definitely add in that extra yeast pack they recommdnd.

Can't imagine why the kit is included without it.

 

[Rocker1986]

My only guess is because it says "lager yeast of your choice". I'm guessing that when it came out as a ROTM they would have included the extra packet, whatever it was, but now it's just in the normal recipe section they don't send it out as a recipe pack anymore, so you have to buy the extra yeast yourself.

 

[Rod]

I use a paint stirrer similar to this one

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=paint+stirrer&biw=1366&bih=681&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwir89n7xbrNAhVLEpQKHYaMCbAQ7AkIOA&dpr=1#imgrc=KWIOacCgifFvWM%3A

I use the stirrer to add oxygen to the brew , vigorously , then add yeast and mix till yeast is distributed

 

[lucanurs]

Thanks all

Luke had a sneaking suspicion that the kit yeast weren't enough - he were right.

Picked up the ingredients with the extra 34/70 yeast will give it another go on Friday night and make sure to oxygenate it.

Will let you know how it goes