First Brew

[Gwyn]

Hi guys, I've been reading this forum for some time now and think I'm ready to put my first brew down this weekend. I'm keeping it simple for the first one, its a K&K of draft beer. I'm going to use the yeast provided but my question is do you have to re-hydrate the yeast or can you just sprinkle on top as suggested in the thread for newbies? Only reason I ask is because other sites recommend this. Cheers! Ps great site! :lol:

 

[rclemmett]

No you don't have to re-hydrate, you can just sprinkle on top. Thats what I do with dry yeast.

 

[Gwyn]

Thanks Rob that should save a bit of time!

 

[Supra-Jim]

I'll jump in here, you don't have to re-hydrate, but it is better if you do.

Re-hydration allows the yeast to absorb water into their cell walls, so when you throw them into your wort they don't suck in a bunch of sugar and OD. This can lead to a yeast mortality of around 30%.

Simple to do, just add 250 mls of cooled (<25degC) pre boiled water to a sanitised container (with lid) sprinkle the yeast on and let it sit for around 30 mins. Give the jar a swirl when your ready to pitch and drop it all in. Basically if you start the re-hydration at the start of your K&K brewing it will be ready when your ready to pitch.

This process is also good for identifying if you have a packet of dud/dead yeast.

:icon_cheers: SJ

 

[.DJ.]

This process is also good for identifying if you have a packet of dud/dead yeast.

:icon_cheers: SJ

SJ,
how can you tell if it is dead?

Having never re-hydrated, I wouldnt have any idea what live v dead would look like....

 

[Gwyn]

Good call SJ, wouldn't want to go to all that trouble only to find you have a dud yeast! :beer:

 

[rclemmett]

Very true Jim.

However, you can also damage yeast by, re-hydrating at the wrong temp, re-hydrating in the wrong volume of water and re-hydrating in unsanitry conditions. It is better if done correctly, if you're unsure then don't do it.

Making a starter is also 'better'.

 

[rclemmett]

SJ,
how can you tell if it is dead?

Having never re-hydrated, I wouldnt have any idea what live v dead would look like....

Pics and description here.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-5.html

 

[whitegoose]

Might not be best practice but I've never rehydrated my dried yeast, and I've never had any problems.

 

[crundle]

For your first brew, keep it nice and simple. Sprinkle the yeast over the top for the first one, you can then read up on how to rehydrate yeast for the next brew.

There will be enough questions swirling around in your head for the first brew to deal with, although I would agree with Supra-Jim and the others that it is better to rehydrate. I do this myself with all my dry yeasts, but when I started I didn't, and never had a problem. Once you get drawn further into the rabbit burrow that is home brewing, you will start looking for ways to improve your brews, but sprinkling the yeast is perfectly acceptable for where you are now.

hope you have a great brew day,

Crundle

 

[Gwyn]

Cheers Crundle, yeah stressing over it a bit, but I guess there aint nothing to it but do it!

 

[mckenry]

I'll jump in here, you don't have to re-hydrate, but it is better if you do.

Simple to do, just add 250 mls of cooled (<25degC) pre boiled water to a sanitised container (with lid) sprinkle the yeast on and let it sit for around 30 mins. :icon_cheers: SJ

This link to howtobrew.com as supplied by Rob2 states 35-40C

Pics and description here.

rehydrating dry yeast

 

[rclemmett]

This link to howtobrew.com as supplied by Rob2 states 35-40C

Pics and description here.

rehydrating dry yeast

I'd tend to listen to John Palmer.

This guy also seems to know what he's talking about.

The dried yeast cell wall is fragile and it is the first few minutes (possibly seconds) of rehydration that the warm temperature is critical while it is reconstituting its cell wall structure. As you drop the initial temperature of the water from 95 to 85 or 75 or 65F the yeast leached out more and more of its insides damaging the each cell. The yeast viability also drops proportionally. At 95 - 105 F, there is 100% recovery of the viable dry yeast. At 60F, there can be as much as 60% dead cells. The water should be tap water with the normal amount of hardness present. The hardness is essential for good recovery. 250 -500 ppm hardness is ideal. This means that deionized or distilled water should not be used. Ideally, the warm rehydration water should contain about 0.5 - 1.0% yeast extract

 

[Supra-Jim]

This link to howtobrew.com as supplied by Rob2 states 35-40C

Pics and description here.

rehydrating dry yeast

Well there you go, I learnded something today.

:icon_cheers: SJ

 

[Wonderwoman]

Might not be best practice but I've never rehydrated my dried yeast, and I've never had any problems.

+1

 

[The Big Burper]

..the warm rehydration water should contain about 0.5 - 1.0% yeast extract

Warm water with a dash of Vegemite ?

 

[rclemmett]

Warm water with a dash of Vegemite ?

Unless you can think of a better source of yeast extract

I've heard of usind dead yeast as a yeast nutrient....... Was in a thread not to long ago but I can't be arsed searching for it.

 

[Jase71]

Welcome aboard mate. I concur, just sprinkle on top. But when you move onto your future brews and start buying stuff from a brew store (if you're not already), you might want to think about adding an extra $5 to your budget and getting a specialty dry yeast. Apart from the highly supported belief that these yeasts are way better, there's also freshness aspects to consider. That little packet that coomes on top of the can, well, you just don't know what sort of temperature conditions they've been through, especially if it's a can from your local supermarket.

All the best with your first, I hope it comes out great. If it doesn't do't give up, there's plenty of people producing great beers with K & K (with some added extras!), and your membership here will prove to be an invaluable source of information on getting your beers just right.

Cheers,

Jase71

 

[Osangar]

I agree with those above; sprinkling your yeast is fine for the first few brews - i did this and had no problems.

over time you will improve different aspects of your brewing and yeast re-hydration or using liquid yeast will be one of those aspects.

i have found that by re-hydrating yeast it seems to perform better in the fest few hours, creating a vigorous bit of activity increasing over 24 - 48 hours.

liquid yeast will allow you to try different taste profiles when these kits, although before i try liquid yeast i would recommend adding a few specialty grains to to improve the taste. this is very simple, and there are heaps of posts on how to do this.





yeast is the greatest organism on the planet - it turns sweet water into beer !!

 

[Gwyn]

Hi guys, well I got my first brew down last night and everything went really well. One of the guys at work managed to convince me too buy some proper yeast, so I stopped in at the HBS to get some Safale US 05 (you were onto that too eh Jase! He reckons it helps with flavour big time? ) I did end up re-hydrating the yeast (after a couple of brews my confidence was up) and that seemed to go ok as by mid morning next day she was bubbling away like a beauty. Cheers for everyones help and input. Now looking forward to the kegging and taste testing. :icon_cheers:

PS next brew is a Pilsner which I'm a big fan of and that comes with a steep pack so that should be more of a challange for the next one!