Re-hydrating Dry yeast

[Maffa]

Have just read an interesting thread on the Woodford Wherry where its suggested you rehydrate the dry yeast to hopefully stop the 'stuck fermentation' problem.

I've read a few other threads on (gulp) other forums that make me think that it could cause more problems than actually solve. I.e. you could get the temp wrong when adding the dry yeast, get the temp wrong when adding the rehydrated yeast to the wort effectively killing off the yeast cells.

I'm now thinking that maybe the rehydrating thing should be used as a backup option when dry yeasting has stalled? :wha:

Whats the general consensus on this?

 

[bunkerbrewer]

Have just read an interesting thread on the Woodford Wherry where its suggested you rehydrate the dry yeast to hopefully stop the 'stuck fermentation' problem.

I've read a few other threads on (gulp) other forums that make me think that it could cause more problems than actually solve. I.e. you could get the temp wrong when adding the dry yeast, get the temp wrong when adding the rehydrated yeast to the wort effectively killing off the yeast cells.

I'm now thinking that maybe the rehydrating thing should be used as a backup option when dry yeasting has stalled? :wha:

Whats the general consensus on this?

I think you should always rehydrate dried yeast to get the best out of it. Safale and Danstar both recommend this. Obviously it needs to be handled with care re temps and cleanliness, but that really isn't difficult or time consuming - don't pay any attention to FUD you might read on other forums :)

 

[Hawks]

Its best practice to rehydrate and I agree it's pretty easy - just be careful like you are elsewhere with temps, cleaning etc.

If you were worried and wanted to have a back up I would have the dry yeast as a back up to rehydrated. You will definitely lose yeast viability if you pitch direct ( you'll still make perfectly fine beer probably ), but by being careful and pitching rehydrated then you are using the optimum pitching amount for your beer :thumb: ( assuming you rehydrate the correct amount of course )

 

[morethanworts]

My Wherry has just fermented out spot on, 1.044 to 1.012, whooshed down to 1.016 after just 3.5 days at 20C... BUT... I rehydrated both the small 6g kit yeast and pitched in a rehydrated 11g Gervin ale yeast (89p!), which, to the best of my research, is the same Nottingham strain as it is likely Muntons used in the Woodfordes kit. 6g is an underpitch according to the online calculator I use, which may explain people getting stuck fermentations. I'm sure 6g can often do the job, but why knowingly under-pitch?

So definitely rehydrate, from what I've read around here, but it needs to be done carefully and at the right temperature for the strain. Here's a link to rehydrating the Nottingham strain properly (Click here)

I aerated hard with a hand whisk for 5 mins too...