Strange Dog
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- 31/7/11
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Hi,
I saw in the instructions for my coopers lager kit a bit where it said that after adding all the water to the fermenter the wort was in a sensitive state and that it was more important to add the yeast quickly than to wait for the temperature to be correct. I am just wondering what is so sensitive about the wort prior to adding yeast? Isnt it just a bunch of warm water with sugar and flavouring? I would have thought the wort was pretty much immune to damage prior to the yeast going in and only after the yeast it would be susceptible to harm. Do you think they meant that it could attract bacteria, in which case leaving the lid on would keep it safe if delays were inevitable? My second brew was initially way to hot and I had to wait 3 hours for it to cool down (with the lid on the whole time) before I could add the yeast, is it going to be completely stuffed ?
And on an unrelated topic, why is re-hydrating yeast prior to pitching advantageous? Why is it any different adding the yeast to a bowl of warm water any different to adding it to a warm fermenter? They are both warm water, whats the difference? Does the presence of the sugar and flavouring in the fermenter give the yeast a harder time?
Also, am I correct in assuming that "all grain" brewing is a process used to avoid having to use a can of extract? Is all grain brewing similar to using a kit except that you have to cook your "extract" from scratch ?
I saw in the instructions for my coopers lager kit a bit where it said that after adding all the water to the fermenter the wort was in a sensitive state and that it was more important to add the yeast quickly than to wait for the temperature to be correct. I am just wondering what is so sensitive about the wort prior to adding yeast? Isnt it just a bunch of warm water with sugar and flavouring? I would have thought the wort was pretty much immune to damage prior to the yeast going in and only after the yeast it would be susceptible to harm. Do you think they meant that it could attract bacteria, in which case leaving the lid on would keep it safe if delays were inevitable? My second brew was initially way to hot and I had to wait 3 hours for it to cool down (with the lid on the whole time) before I could add the yeast, is it going to be completely stuffed ?
And on an unrelated topic, why is re-hydrating yeast prior to pitching advantageous? Why is it any different adding the yeast to a bowl of warm water any different to adding it to a warm fermenter? They are both warm water, whats the difference? Does the presence of the sugar and flavouring in the fermenter give the yeast a harder time?
Also, am I correct in assuming that "all grain" brewing is a process used to avoid having to use a can of extract? Is all grain brewing similar to using a kit except that you have to cook your "extract" from scratch ?