Getting The Most Out Of Kit Brewing

[RobboMC]

Pitch dried yeast, stir for 30 seconds+, lock and you are away.

Re-reading an old thread as I'm passing the info on to a brewing buddy, and came across this line in your super method.

Somewhere in the reams of brewing stuff I've read and forgotten was a mention that the fresh wort nearest the top of the fermenter has best access to the oxygen in the headspace ( remember this is before fermentation starts so there's no CO2 up there just yet ) and therefore the dried yeast is best left floating on top and not stirred.

The small amount of chemistry I understand suggets that some of that oxygen will even start to dissolve in the fresh wort and make it's way slowly downward through the top layer of liquid until the yeast gets it and begins it's feeding frenzy on the sugars.

Any of you experts like to comment on this concept?

 

[Barley Belly]

Re-reading an old thread as I'm passing the info on to a brewing buddy, and came across this line in your super method.

Somewhere in the reams of brewing stuff I've read and forgotten was a mention that the fresh wort nearest the top of the fermenter has best access to the oxygen in the headspace ( remember this is before fermentation starts so there's no CO2 up there just yet ) and therefore the dried yeast is best left floating on top and not stirred.

The small amount of chemistry I understand suggets that some of that oxygen will even start to dissolve in the fresh wort and make it's way slowly downward through the top layer of liquid until the yeast gets it and begins it's feeding frenzy on the sugars.

Any of you experts like to comment on this concept?

"Pitch dry yeast directly in the fermentation vessel providing the temperature of
the wort is above 20C (68F). Progressively sprinkle the dry yeast into the wort ensuring the
yeast covers all the surface of wort available in order to avoid clumps. Leave for 30 minutes
and then mix the wort e.g. using aeration."

I got this off the Fermentis site on how to dry pitch US05 & S-04.

I have been using this method for the last 5 or 6 brews using the Morgan's kit yeasts, without a problem.

Haven't actually used any US05 or S04 yet, but have a pack of each and plan to use them next coupla brews and then farm the yeast cake to use again. Which will be the first time I do this as well.

 

[FreemanDC]

I rehydrate the yeast into a cream before pitching, all this done on clean and sanitized surfaces of course.
, I notice re hydration takes away a fair amount of lag time, meaning a quicker start ferm.
The best thing you can do, and i do. ( i'll prolly get flame mugged for it ), is at every 5lts of water into the fermentor give a really good stir/shake to aerate all the wort. .
.
I think it has to do alot with what yeast your using, kit yeast will handle a lot of abuse, some yeast requires you to be very gentle.


- Another Useless answer that has nothing to do with the question by Freemasha

 

[bconnery]

Re-reading an old thread as I'm passing the info on to a brewing buddy, and came across this line in your super method.

Somewhere in the reams of brewing stuff I've read and forgotten was a mention that the fresh wort nearest the top of the fermenter has best access to the oxygen in the headspace ( remember this is before fermentation starts so there's no CO2 up there just yet ) and therefore the dried yeast is best left floating on top and not stirred.

The small amount of chemistry I understand suggets that some of that oxygen will even start to dissolve in the fresh wort and make it's way slowly downward through the top layer of liquid until the yeast gets it and begins it's feeding frenzy on the sugars.

Any of you experts like to comment on this concept?

I know I'm not an expert but I will say a few things. Opinion is very firmly divided on the best way to handle pitching of dried yeast.
I used to pitch and stir with a sanitised spoon. I wouldn't recommend that now per se, but it worked alright then.
I don't do it now. I just usually pitch and leave it, as per your idea up there. I don't think I'd read that before but you never know, I read a lot of stuff about brewing...
A lot of people swear by rehydrating. I have tried it but didn't feel that it gave great benefits, not enough to outweigh the ease of opening a packet and sprinkling it around anyway

 

[Tyred]

Re-reading an old thread as I'm passing the info on to a brewing buddy, and came across this line in your super method.

Somewhere in the reams of brewing stuff I've read and forgotten was a mention that the fresh wort nearest the top of the fermenter has best access to the oxygen in the headspace ( remember this is before fermentation starts so there's no CO2 up there just yet ) and therefore the dried yeast is best left floating on top and not stirred.

The small amount of chemistry I understand suggets that some of that oxygen will even start to dissolve in the fresh wort and make it's way slowly downward through the top layer of liquid until the yeast gets it and begins it's feeding frenzy on the sugars.

Any of you experts like to comment on this concept?

No expert here either. Still learning more about brewing.

I think this concept comes from introducing as much oxygen into the wort as possible. Stirring for 30 seconds+ will add more oxygen into the wort and will spread the yeast more evenly throughout the wort.

If the yeast is pitched evenly onto the top of the wort and not stirred in, it will be in an oxygen rich environment to start with as I believe that there will be more available oxygen at the top of the wort. This comes from the concept that the oxygen rich wort will be lighter than the rest of the wort.

There is also the likelihood that some oxygen will be absorbed into the wort before the CO2 forms a layer across the top. I don't think it will be too much however as the yeast (for my brews at least) appear to be very active within 6 hours of pitching - indicating that there is a layer of CO2 across the wort and filling the headspace and pushing any oxygen out.

I've done both, but no longer bother with the stirring or rehydrating. Pitching and leaving appears to work fine for me as long as I have the wort around fermenting temperature.