39 replies to this topic

[Brian72]

I didnt know if we already had this topic here or not so I thought I'd start.Does anyone bother to rehydrate thier dry yeast prior to pitching? I'v done it both ways and cant really say I could tell much of a difference in fermentation. So, whats everyones experience with doing this or NOT doing this?

[MakeMeHoppy]

I recently started I think the last 3 batches. It does seem to get a quicker start, but I really haven't measured it or had enough samples yet. I decided after 2 years of brewing to fine tune some items. I started rehydrating yeast, looking at water profile and am looping for a stir plate for liquid yeasts.

[chauvan]

I do. It really doesn't take that much work, so why not?

[Julius H Gardetto]

Having just used dry yeast for the first time, I did it. I took the "better safe than sorry" approach, and it doesn't seem like too much extra effort.

[Iceman]

Whenever I use dry, I just toss it in & shake it up a bit. It takes right off. Worked so well I never tried anything else.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I've only ever rehydrated so I have no comparison. Everything I've read says rehydrating in 90-100F sterile water is the way to go with regards to yeast viability.

[tag]

I do. Why not get all the yeast to work for you?

[ChefLamont]

I have only used dry a couple of times, but I didnt. It worked just fine.

[dagomike]

Rehydrating makes sense, so that's what I do when I use it. I've dump it right in a few times, particularly with wine per instructions. Not sure I could say one way or the other, but whatever makes the yeast happy.

[boo boo]

When I started I used the "Briess Homebrewing Companion" which directed me to, "pull off a cup of wort after 5 minutes into the boil, let cool for awhile and drop dry yeast onto wort...producing a yeast slurry...". I only use dry yeast occasionally now but still follow that procedure with good results.

the idea behind yeast rehydrating is to let the cell wall expand and take its shape after the shrinking of the dehydration process, not to stress it out by giving it a sugar solution (wort).Rehydrating in water will give the yeast cell a head start on viatality so it can better ferment our beer.YMMV

[boo boo]

I've had shorter lag times useing rehydrated yeast vs just pitching dry.

[Brian72]

Rehydrating in water will give the yeast cell a head start on viatality so it can better ferment our beer.YMMV

This is how I do it when I do rehydrate. Today I just threw it in, I'm using US-56 on this one. Maybe next time I brew this beer with this yeast (in a couple weeks) I'll rehydrate and see what I get.FWIW, I pitched about 2 hours ago and I already have airlock activity. I just moved it into my "fermentation room" to let it do its thing...

[MAZ]

In the past two years, I've used US-05 quite regularly (my dry vs liquid yeast usage is roughly 50/50). I can't remember the last time I bothered to rehydrate, and my beers have been as good as ever. My typical attenuation with US-05 is 80%. The beer I currently have in the primary is a Russian Imperial Stout... OG = 1.098. I sprinkled 2 packets of US-05 on it, fermentation was evident within 6 hours (probably less, but since I open ferment without an airlock I can't see bubbles). 5 days later I took a gravity reading... down to 1.022! I expect it will drop another 2 to 4 points.

[ncbeerbrewer]

I have used US-05 a couple of times in the last couple of months. First time I used it I rehydrated and fermentation was starting up in 6 hours. Second time I used it, it was late and I read package and it said can pitch right into wort so i did. It took the yeast almost 24 hours to start up. I plan to rehydrate each time I used dry seems to be a shorter timeframe for start up or at least for me and some others too.

[andy77]

I just sprinkled on top of the wort for about a year and a half and made good beers. When I do use dry yeast (which is becoming rarer and rarer) lately I do rehydrate, but it's more to dot my i's and cross my t's, not because I've seen a measurable difference. Not that I've ever done a side by side, though. Experiment, anyone?

[BrewerGeorge]

I use dry almost exclusively. I think I only made one starter last year - the CL50 for Denny's Rye. I used to sprinkle, and the beer was fine.However, I've recently begun rehydrating with good results after I discovered a trick to make it MUCH easier. The biggest hassle with rehydrating is getting the sterile water. The way around that is to use a new 20oz bottled water, pour out half and add the yeast to what's left. Super, super easy.

[Bearphin]

I use dry yeast about 75% of the time and haven't re-hydrated it yet. Have never noticed a big difference between dry and a vial.May try to do a true starter with dry and see how that works for me. Otherwise, still get and good ferment going within the first 24 hours.

[Lonnie Mac]

I use dry almost exclusively. I think I only made one starter last year - the CL50 for Denny's Rye. I used to sprinkle, and the beer was fine.However, I've recently begun rehydrating with good results after I discovered a trick to make it MUCH easier. The biggest hassle with rehydrating is getting the sterile water. The way around that is to use a new 20oz bottled water, pour out half and add the yeast to what's left. Super, super easy.

Tell me of this method G... I usually just pitch it on the rare occasion that I use dry... I was thinking of something simple to do... Do you heat your bottled water?