Re-Hydrate v Not..

[Ducatiboy stu]

When using dry yeast I have never seen the need to re-hydrate first. Especially if done in plain water. The yeast will hydrate just as well in the ferm, if not better. Remember water has no nutrients so wont help it along. The wort has everything it needs to hydrate and get to work

 

[spudfarmerboy]

So Fermentis and Lallemand don't know what they're talking about then?

 

[philmud]

I rehydrate because it says to on the pack. If it said to jump off a bridge...

I thought it might disperse the yeast cells through the wort a bit more thoroughly, but I've also sprinkled before and it it seemed fine, it didn't ferment to as low a FG as I expected, but that means SFA as it was a different beer from those made with hydrated yeast.

 

[spryzie]

I rehyrdate because the manufacturer recommends it and also the science I've read says it's better for yeast health.

If sprinkling is adverse to yeast health enough to be bad is another question.

I made a marzen, rehyrdated s23, fermentation started within 24 hours.

I've got a bock going now, forget to rehydrate s23, fermentation started within 24 hours.

I haven't been able to detect any difference.

But I pitched big both times 14g. Marzen was 16L 1.053 and the Bock was 12L 1.066.

 

[philmud]

Wait a minute, Stu, are you yeast trolling again?

 

[slash22000]

Wait a minute, Stu, are you yeast trolling again?

Yes. He/she was doing the same thing in another thread about hydrating yeast.

But for the curious: http://koehlerbeer.com/2008/06/07/rehydrating-dry-yeast-with-dr-clayton-cone/

Rehydrating is good. You don't need to rehydrate, but you should. Your beer will probably turn out alright if you don't rehydrate, but it's not good practice. You kill a lot of your yeast, pitching dry. Rehydrating takes virtually zero effort and costs nothing. Why not do it?

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Yes. He/she was doing the same thing in another thread about hydrating yeast.

I am not.

This is why I started a different thread

 

[Droopy]

A point of order- sprinkling/mixing dry yeast into your wort @ mid-20sC is in fact rehydrating the yeast.

 

[Black Devil Dog]

Palmer says that if pitched directly into the wort, the sugars prevent the yeast from getting enough water into their cells to metabolise, Causing many to die.

He also suggests to re-hydrate at 35 - 40 deg c.

 

[ash2]

I have rehydrated yeast a couple of times & found no difference from sprinkling the yeast. :unsure:

 

[slash22000]

If you all just read the link I posted it would make this whole topic a lot easier to discuss ... except that there really isn't anything to discuss. The benefits of rehydration are known science. Anecdotal evidence does not change the facts. Again, I'm sure your beer turns out okay if you don't rehydrate (I've done it myself, we all have), but that doesn't change the facts that it's poor practice and kills most of your yeast.

 

[Feldon]

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.

Call it a eugenics approach.

 

[benno1973]

Slash's link is the one that came to mind when I read the topic. The pertinent points in relation to the OP are:

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

For the initial few minutes (perhaps seconds) of rehydration, the yeast cell wall cannot differentiate what passes through the wall. Toxic materials like sprays, hops, SO2 and sugars in high levels, that the yeast normally can selectively keep from passing through its cell wall rush right in and seriously damage the cells. The moment that the cell wall is properly reconstituted, the yeast can then regulate what goes in and out of the cell. That is why we hesitate to recommend rehydration in wort or must. Very dilute wort seems to be OK.

and..

How do many beer and wine makers have successful fermentations when they ignore all the above? I believe that it is just a numbers game. Each gram of Active Dry Yeast contains about 20 billion live yeast cells. If you slightly damage the cells, they have a remarkable ability to recover in the rich wort. If you kill 60% of the cell you still have 8 billion cells per gram that can go on to do the job at a slower rate.

 

[Greg.L]

For commercial applications rehydrating is obviously better. For small scale home brew beer making it doesn't seem to make a lot of difference but I am sure you will get a bit better fermentation from rehydrating, it depends whether you can be bothered.
For wine and cider there is no debate, you have to rehydrate.

 

[pressure_tested]

That clears up my question: wouldn't rehydrating in wort (as per fermentis instructions) be kind of like the direct dry pitch.

I now understand why water or dilute wort is best but why does fermentis even give you the wort option? Why not just say 'do it in water!'

 

[Droopy]

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.

Call it a eugenics approach.

Darwin is alive and well. Survival of the fittest, my sentiments exactly!

 

[Spiesy]

I like good beer, so I try to do all the processes correctly to give my beer the best chance to be awesome. I don't cut corners and I don't take chances.

I'd like to think that the people who dedicate their lives to making yeast might have some understanding in how their yeast is best used.

 

[Maxt]

Rehydrating....you know it makes sense!

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Either way it ends hydrated

 

[Spiesy]

And beer is beer.