Rehydrating Yeast

Trying a Brewferm Triple and had never rehydrated yeast before. Followed instructions but I'm not seeing much activity in FV. I've got to admit I'm a bit of a airlock watcher (though I know it doesn't mean owt) so I'm worried I knacked up the yeast. I'm hoping the water was the right temperature. I only used luke warm tap water. It's been 48 hrs the starting gravity was as stated oh and I'm a pig and doubled everything up so two tins went in.
Doing a bad cat red as well and thats away like the clappers

Oh and I used recommended sugar Candi 1kg in this case as two tins

Hmmm! I find that "Luke warm tap water." is often way above the 22 degrees maximum at which I like to pitch my yeast.

I doubt that you have managed to kill off all of the yeast but I can see you "shocking" it by hydrating it with a higher than normal temperature and then pitching it into a really sweet wort.

I therefore suggest that you give it another 48 hours to see what happens before doing anything drastic like adding more yeast. :thumb:

Hi Dutto
Can you suggest a yeast for this in case I need to bung in some more. I forgot to say I had took the temp of the water and it was 30degrees and I then put more cold water in.
I've got some Lallemand Nottingham yeast if that's any good.
Cheers Craig

It should be fine. You re-hydrate yeast at about 35C. Here's a wee guide that I usually follow if I'm re-hydrating and never had a re-hydrated brew fail me yet.

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/rehydrating-dry-yeast/

Dont worry about the airlock, you've probably not got a very tight seal on the lid of your FV so your C02 is getting out that way

Hi MyQul
Thanks. I've had a look at that cheers. So you can rehydrate yeast that kits say to just sprinkle on?.
Also had a look at some posts about brewferm kits and a lot of people are saying you don't see a lot of activity anyway (should have done this before posting lol) I've got to say now my FV lid is bulging and will cause the the airlock to gurgle if pressed so something must be happening.
I wish I could brew patience lol.
While I'm on can you tell me how to use spray malt if a kit says to add that for bottling.
Thanks Craig

the brewferm yeast is not the most active I found. very little krausen it did displace the airlock but not really bubble it, but as myqul says it may not be a tight seal on your fv. 30 deg is fine for rehydrating yeast.

Should dry yeast always be rehydrated?

Dava12 said:

Hi Dutto
Can you suggest a yeast for this in case I need to bung in some more. I forgot to say I had took the temp of the water and it was 30degrees and I then put more cold water in.
I've got some Lallemand Nottingham yeast if that's any good.
Cheers Craig

Click to expand...

Where yeast is concerned I am a total peasant and most often use Wilco Ale Yeast. It is readily available, relatively cheap, has never failed me; and as a result I always keep a few packets available in the garage.

http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/wilko-gervin-english-ale-yeast-11g/invt/0318922

I've just read the link from MyQui and found it interesting but (there's always a "but" :whistle:) I also discovered this article as well.

http://brulosophy.com/2014/09/15/sprinkled-vs-rehydrated-dry-yeast-exbeeriment-results/

Being a lazy old git, in the future I think I will just sprinkle the dried yeast on top of the froth caused by aeration of the wort. :thumb:

Clint said:

Should dry yeast always be rehydrated?

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well on the packet it doesn't always say so. The marketing people don't want you be put off buying the product just like kits that say your beer is ready in 7 days

however visit their websites they all say improved results are obtained by re-hydrating. I've just sprinkled and re-hydrated yeast and the re-hydrated starts fermenting much quicker, so less change of infection. you can lose 50% of the yeast cells by sprinkling yeast directly onto wort. you are more likley to get away with sprinking 10 or 11g of a retail packet of yeast onto wort than you are with the 6g or so packets you get in kits.

Try re-hydrating. If you like what you get - continue, if not carry on as before :-)

Clint said:

Should dry yeast always be rehydrated?

Click to expand...

http://brulosophy.com/2014/09/15/sprinkled-vs-rehydrated-dry-yeast-exbeeriment-results/

Apparently not? :whistle:

dad_of_jon said:

............ you can lose 50% of the yeast cells by sprinkling yeast directly onto wort. you are more likley to get away with sprinking 10 or 11g of a retail packet of yeast onto wort than you are with the 6g or so packets you get in kits.

..........

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By the time the wort is ready for the yeast, there is usually a 5cm layer of froth floating on the top and it is on to this that I sprinkle the yeast. I reckon it gives the yeast time to acclimatise to the conditions in the FV before it gets to grips with the wort itself.

i agree entirely that the smaller packets need some encouragement before being pitched into the wort. (Especially the 5g packets of Youngs Lager Yeast that I will be using for my lager brews in the next couple of weeks.)

However, rather than just rehydrating them I recommend that they are used to make a Yeast Starter. :thumb:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMhFerNTwbQ[/ame]

Dutto said:

By the time the wort is ready for the yeast, there is usually a 5cm layer of froth floating on the top and it is on to this that I sprinkle the yeast. I reckon it gives the yeast time to acclimatise to the conditions in the FV before it gets to grips with the wort itself.

i agree entirely that the smaller packets need some encouragement before being pitched into the wort. (Especially the 5g packets of Youngs Lager Yeast that I will be using for my lager brews in the next couple of weeks.)

However, rather than just rehydrating them I recommend that they are used to make a Yeast Starter. :thumb:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMhFerNTwbQ

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isn't making a starter more hassle than rehydrating them as per instructions? - I ask 'cos I've never made a starter.

If I have 'started' world war 3 on this topic - apologies in advance

dad_of_jon said:

isn't making a starter more hassle than rehydrating them as per instructions? - I ask 'cos I've never made a starter.

If I have 'started' world war 3 on this topic - apologies in advance

Click to expand...

Not the way I do it! :whistle: :whistle:

When I want to increase the amount of yeast available (e.g. with the Youngs 5g Lager Yeast Pack) I start the process the afternoon before, otherwise I just start it off on Brewday Morning.

Either way, I boil up a kettle of water and let it cool to room temperature.

I then sanitise everything that will come into contact with the yeast, pour some of the boiled water into a jug, stir in a couple of dessertspoons of malt extract, slide in a stir-bar, tip in the dry yeast, cover it with some tinfoil and sit the jug on the stir-plate.

I adjust the stirrer speed to get a decent vortex going and leave it in the conservatory (the warmest place in the house) to do its thing.

For a straight rehydration the shortest time will be about six hours but to increase the amount of yeast available I leave it overnight.

On the side of my Stir-Plate I have written "Remove Spinner" because it's easy to forget to remove it before pitching the yeast into the FV ...

... and if you were worried about infections before this happens you will be paranoid by the time you have fished it out with a magnet on the end of a telescopic rod! :whistle: :whistle:

Enjoy! :thumb:

PS

Don't worry about getting people arguing on this Forum.

I'm pretty sure that most of us get more grief at home! :whistle: :whistle:

Dutto said:

I've just read the link from MyQui and found it interesting but (there's always a "but" :whistle:) I also discovered this article as well.

http://brulosophy.com/2014/09/15/sprinkled-vs-rehydrated-dry-yeast-exbeeriment-results/

Being a lazy old git, in the future I think I will just sprinkle the dried yeast on top of the froth caused by aeration of the wort. :thumb:

Click to expand...

The OP was asking about temps to re-hydrate yeast at not whether he should re-hydrate or sprinkle. Nothing wrong with sprinkling the yeast, I've done it loads...until the one time it doesnt work. Which happened to me with some MJ CaliLager yeast. It took 3 days to get going properly. That's kind of put me off just sprinkling now

dad_of_jon said:

isn't making a starter more hassle than rehydrating them as per instructions? - I ask 'cos I've never made a starter.

If I have 'started' world war 3 on this topic - apologies in advance

Click to expand...

The thing I like about making a starter is you do it a couple of days before your ready to pitch. Then when your ready to pitch you just chuck it into the wort (sans spent starter wort or not, depending on your preference). For me this breaks up the work. With re-hydrating you have to do it when you need the yeast, and I find sanising the water, getting it to the right temp, etc a bit of a faff

MyQul said:

The OP was asking about temps to re-hydrate yeast at not whether he should re-hydrate or sprinkle. ........

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Er ... true, but immediately above my Post Clint asked should dried yeast always be rehydrated.

Personally, I mix and match what I do to my mood, energy level and the type of yeast I am intending to use. :thumb:

...oops! It's not uncommon for me to cause a bit of bother...

I capture and hold the stir bar with a magnet on the outside of the flask

with regards to the original question - it really is up to you and dutto offers an alternative method to make a starter. if you suddendly find you have a brew day open to you then preparing a starter on the same day may not be an option.

so to sprinkle or not to sprinkle? - that is the question.

if you're doing low-ish abv brews then again sprinkling has less impact here.

Contrast this with a 12% beer I did with a single packet of re-hydrated yeast. at the OG I had two packets were recommended but 1 packet was sufficient, had I sprinkled it I reckon i'd of had a stuck ferment.