Yeast procedures - does it matter how?

[Flamenco]

I have looked around the forum and haven't found this question - apologies if I missed it.

Different kits have differing procedures for introducing the yeast, so my question is: does it matter?

Brewferm kits say to mix yeast with warm water and stand for 20 mins or so before adding. Other kits say sprinkle on top and be done with it.
I am tempted to do the Brewferm technique with all kits but don't know if that would work ok or not with kits that are not Brewferm?

Have made now 22 brews since Jan 2013 - all but one have been from ok to stonkingly good, so I know it can't be crucial.

What do the experienced kitmeisters say?

[Ditch]

I'm a sling and f**k off man, myself. Never not worked.

[Jim]

There's a bit here about the pros and cons of each method.

[Monkeybrew]

This is a very valid question, and one that they will help others.

Basically, just sprinkling dried yeast directly into your sweet wort, can potentially damage or kill up to 50% of the yeast cells.

As Brewferm kits, especially the 9L one's, have a very high starting gravity of around 1.075 IIRC, the yeast has got a tough job on it's hands to get the brew down to 1.010 - 1.012.

This is why it is really important to rehydrate the yeast in a Brewferm, otherwise there might not be enough yeast for a full and healthy fermentation. Rehydrated brews normally start faster too in my experience.

Most kit instructions don't go into these so called advanced techniques, because the manufacturers don't want to put off customers by making things sound difficult.

You just need to make sure that everything that makes contact with the yeast, is clean and sanitised, like you do for a normal brew anyway.

I find that any refinement that you can make use of in kit brewing, all adds up to a better quality end product.

Cheers

MB

[Belter]

Yep it matters. In my experience the better brands recommend rehydration. The others don't. I guess it's the two sides of the market. Some people brew for financial reasons and don't care what it tastes like... It's still beer. The other side of the the market who want perfection do things correctly and reduce faults. Both yeasts are potentially made by the same manufacturer. I.e Notty (llalemand) and Gervin from wilkos

[Exiled Bradfordian]

I'm with Ditch on this one. Sling it all in. I've never tried rehydration or making a starter, but I've had good results with sprinkling...if it ain't broke and all that. Plus...less to clean and sanitise!

[Monkeybrew]

I'm with Ditch on this one. Sling it all in. I've never tried rehydration or making a starter, but I've had good results with sprinkling...if it ain't broke and all that. Plus...less to clean and sanitise!

If you're happy with what you are brewing, then I can understand why you wouldn't want to bother with making more work for yourself.

If one day you decide that you want to start refining things, then this is a simple place to start.

Cheers

MB

[Donald]

I've only ever a sprinkled the yeast packet on top of the wort have noticed some get going far quicker than others - the coopers yeast seems particularly quick to get going and will try to push the top off the fermenter while those with the wilko kits take a day to foam up.
Will need to try rehydrating my next brew and see what that changes.

[WalesAles]

the coopers yeast seems particularly quick to get going and will try to push the top off the fermenter

Donald,
Like this?



WA

[orlando]

Yep it matters. In my experience the better brands recommend rehydration. The others don't. I guess it's the two sides of the market. Some people brew for financial reasons and don't care what it tastes like... It's still beer. The other side of the the market who want perfection do things correctly and reduce faults. Both yeasts are potentially made by the same manufacturer. I.e Notty (llalemand) and Gervin from wilkos

Technically speaking it comes down to the environment the yeast are entering, particularly heat. At the moment rehydration occurs, whether in the wort or in a controlled rehydration, the cell wall of the yeast is quite vulnerable and doesn't have complete control over what passes through the cell wall (osmotic pressure). Dried yeast is prepared to be pitched in what would be a fairly hostile environment for liquid yeast i.e. an oxygen depleted environment. Clearly you can pitch dry, brewers queue up to tell you they have done it for years and it has always worked, why disbelieve them? In the end it comes down to what it is you want to achieve in brewing, a 1/2 decent pint with the minimum of fuss or the anally retentive route that others take in trying to achieve greatness, no guarantees either way but you can probably guess my direction of travel.

[Donald]

Wales - exactly! I've also ruined the spare blanket wrapped around th FV with all the spew.
whatever coopers have selected their yeast strains for, going off like a rocket and smashing through the fermentation must have been pretty high on the list

[Jim]

There are many methods used in home brewing that work, but aren't the best way to do it.

The secret of getting really good beers is to address each of them, starting with the easiest and most effective. To get the best, you need to get everything just right - but even if you don't you can make good beer, and that's enough for most people.

I would say rehydrating the yeast before pitching is a tweak rather than a huge leap forward - though for high gravity worts, it makes more difference.

[Monkeybrew]

There are many methods used in home brewing that work, but aren't the best way to do it.

The secret of getting really good beers is to address each of them, starting with the easiest and most effective. To get the best, you need to get everything just right - but even if you don't you can make good beer, and that's enough for most people.

I would say rehydrating the yeast before pitching is a tweak rather than a huge leap forward - though for high gravity worts, it makes more difference.

I agree that it doesn't make a huge difference, but it all helps me produce consistent good quality results from kits. Admittedly the most significant tweak I ever made to my brewing regime, was proper temperature control, but that's going way off topic.........

Cheers

MB

[Flamenco]

Thank you for all the replies. I know the "sprinkle it on and leave it" technique does work (most of my brews were made using it) but I am very interested in the science behind brewing and yeast action and I now have plenty more to consider.

(The reason for coming back to homebrewing is the fun aspect of making different beers and trying to get them beyond the half decent pint level - so far with some success but not overwhelmingly so!)