Yeast Nutrient

[ironxmortlock]

I just noticed this product on CraftBrewer and I was wondering if it's any good? Could it speed up a slow fermenting lager without compromising taste?

Thanks,

M

 

[goatherder]

I was would have replied earlier but I was trying to squash the bug running around your sig...

I use yeast nutrient in my brews and my starters. The nutrient I use costs literally 10c per brew. It goes in such small amounts that there is going to be zero detectable flavour impact on the brew. There are plenty of reports around, anecdotal and scientific, which say that yeast nutrient has a positive impact on fermentation. Whilst I haven't done experiments myself to determine if it is a good thing, the risk and cost of using it is so small that I use it anyway, comfortable that I'm not doing anything detrimental to my beer.

As for speeding up a slow fermenting lager, there might be a few other factors in this. Lagers are slower then ales - I leave mine 3 weeks. Temperature, initial yeast health, oxygen in the wort, pitch rates and wort composition all have an impact on speed of fermentation. Tell us more if you want more details.

 

[ironxmortlock]

I was would have replied earlier but I was trying to squash the bug running around your sig...

I use yeast nutrient in my brews and my starters. The nutrient I use costs literally 10c per brew. It goes in such small amounts that there is going to be zero detectable flavour impact on the brew. There are plenty of reports around, anecdotal and scientific, which say that yeast nutrient has a positive impact on fermentation. Whilst I haven't done experiments myself to determine if it is a good thing, the risk and cost of using it is so small that I use it anyway, comfortable that I'm not doing anything detrimental to my beer.

As for speeding up a slow fermenting lager, there might be a few other factors in this. Lagers are slower then ales - I leave mine 3 weeks. Temperature, initial yeast health, oxygen in the wort, pitch rates and wort composition all have an impact on speed of fermentation. Tell us more if you want more details.

I haven't started this one yet but it will be sitting outside in Brisbane. At this time of year that will be 13-15 degrees on average. For yeast, I'm going to use Saflager S-23 and the wort is going to be made of Blackrock Pilsner can, 500g Dex, 250g LME and 250g Maltadextrin. O2 in wort will be from me thrashing the crap out of the fermenter just before I pitch the yeast.

I was expecting it to take 3 weeks, I was just wondering if I could speed it up with the nutrient.

WANT... BEER... NOW! :chug:

 

[pint of lager]

You cannot speed up lagers.

Malt brews usually provide most nutrients that yeast need. Kit based brews shouldn't need extra nutrient.

When growing out yeast, I do use WL nutrient.

Nutrient is especially important when doing things like ginger beer, mead and lemonade. These do not have a well balanced diet for your yeast. Malt based brews and grape based brews provide a balanced diet. Just about every other brew needs extra nutrient. Otherwise you will have slow or stalled ferments.

 

[goatherder]

I completely concur with PoL. A decent lager will and should take up to 3 weeks.

The only thing you might want to consider is your pitch rate. A packet of of yeast is a good pitch rate for an ale. I think a single packet of lager yeast for a lager is a little too low a pitching rate, especially when you intend to ferment at lower temps. 13-15 isn't low but it certainly would help to have that extra packet. This won't decrease your ferment time but it might help you make a better beer.

If you want a faster beer, make an ale.

 

[ironxmortlock]

So much for the quick fix and thanks for the responses. :beer:

The guy at the LHBS talked me into the Lager today so it's too late, the bits have been bought. 3 weeks is going to throw out my schedule of keeping myself constantly supplied with beer though so it looks like the best solution is going to be to buy myself another fermenter so I can have two brews churning along at once.

 

[goatherder]

We all go through this. One fermenter is never enough...

 

[BenH]

Also, I've read that the nutrient will only be useful during the reproductive phase of the yeast (it helps to increase the cell count and yeast health) - i.e. first day or so when there's plenty of oxygen around in the wort. IxM, from your post I assume that you've already got the beer in the fermenter, so adding nutrient now would be a bad thing, IMO, regardless of whether it was a lager or ale.

I've just begun adding nutrient to my starters to get them built up quickly and healthily... seems to have produced good results in my experience.

Friday nights are great.... :chug:

 

[bconnery]

We all go through this. One fermenter is never enough...

Let's be really honest here. Two fermenters is never enough.

I have 5 I think and there are still days when I consider getting another one...

One beer lagering, two fermenting, two fermenters ready for racking and one for bottling and that's more than I have already so you see what I mean

 

[Randall the Enamel Animal]

Local pale malts can be very low in zinc and depending on the requirements of your yeast strain, you can run into easily avoidable problems. Consider yeast nutrient like a multi-vitamin tablet: If you don't need it, it'll make no difference, but if you do...

I used to work in a yeast propagating laboratory. We used zinc (as sulphate), biotin, pantothenate, various other B-group vitamins and mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP. They use DAP in wine. I wouldn't add either to beer, not needed).

Goatherder was right though. The important things are yeast vitality, pitching rate and wort oxygenation. Get that right and the rate can then be controlled with temperature.

 

[warra48]

If you are using a Saflager or Safale yeast, why not toss the contents of the kit yeast packet in with your boil. It will kill the yeast, but should make good yeast nutrient. I have just done this with a second generation liquid yeast culture, and the starter took off after only about 3 or 4 hours. What's the thoughts on this?

 

[rough60]

your fermenters will multiply! when you make good quality beer it's hard to keep up.
i AG so i chuck in a cheap pack of yeast in the boil for nutrients.
cheers.

 

[pint of lager]

Was chatting to some very experienced brewers some time back and they said that boiled yeast was not an ideal nutrient. There are some very good nutrients available to homebrewers if you feel the need to add some.

If you have some packs of dried yeast going to waste, they are not going to hurt in the boil but are not as good as yeast nutrient. Also, alot of the yeast added to the boil is tied up in the break material and unavailable to yeast.

Like Randall said, our Australian malts can be low in zinc. This follows on from our soils being very old and some nutrients have been leached out including zinc. Don't go the other way and add too much zinc as an excess is toxic to yeast.

I always add some yeast nutrient to starters and usually to ferments. It is boiled up separately to sanitise and added to the wort at pitching.

"Healthy parents have healthy children." Always aim to have the best quality yeast at pitching. This means look after your starters. Make sure when adding nutrient, you have used the correct amount, especially for small starters. Scale the recommended amount for a standard brew to your starter.

You can never have too many fermenters.

 

[mika]

A local craftbrewer mentioned a mens multi-vitamin tablet as an option for Yeast Nutrient...haven't felt the need to give it a go yet.

 

[rough60]

Teah I've heard yeast in the boil isn't the best nutrient, but it is suppossed to help.
I've got stacks of packs from my old K&K days, so might as well do something with it.

 

[///]

I have taken our MASTERS model of 'get things right first' principle to 'give every yeast the best oppurtunity possible' by using yeast nutrient everywhere.

This is a small investment and as per Randal, you dont have to buttt.....

Scotty