Maximum pitching temperature

[Delbert]

Hi y'all,

New member here, thanks for all the help so far from some of the brewers on here, I've scoured many a topic and had lots of valuable info.

I'm back to brewing extract kits after returning to buckets from the Pinter 2.1 debacle. I've noticed that some of the instructions are saying to add the malt extract then 3.5 litres of boiling water then top up with cold water to 24 litres. Thing is, after doing this, the temperature of the wort is usually about 27 degrees or thereabouts which I'm worried is too warm to pitch yeast into.

What's the max wort temp you'd be comfortable pitching with?

Some yeast packets and instructions don't specify this and just tell you to crack on. Could it kill or harm the yeast?

 

[The Baron]

Welcome to the forum.
As a generalisation upto 21c for Ales etc Lagers 17c
These may be the upper end so if no yeast instructions look up a recipe for a similar beer/style and follow the yeast instructions of the yeast that is used in that recipe

 

[Rwilts]

Yes that's too hot, I would add the extract, rinse out the tin with boiling water and add to bucket and swish that around to mix up the extract then add cold water checking temp and then add either more hot or cold as required to get to 20 at your final volume.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Yeast are very happy at temperatures up to and above 30 degrees. So don't worry too much about killing the yeast at 27 degrees.

But I agree with the others that it's hotter than recommended.

Personally I would just pitch the yeast and run with it and see how it comes out. But if you want to play it cautious without diluting it further, seal it up, wait until morning when it'll probably be 20 degrees, then pitch the yeast then

 

[Delbert]

Thanks for the help!

 

[jof]

I don't use a chiller & during the summer my wort is regularly still at 30C the next morning when I pitch the yeast & it seems to work out OK

 

[MrRook]

Hi y'all,

New member here, thanks for all the help so far from some of the brewers on here, I've scoured many a topic and had lots of valuable info.

I'm back to brewing extract kits after returning to buckets from the Pinter 2.1 debacle. I've noticed that some of the instructions are saying to add the malt extract then 3.5 litres of boiling water then top up with cold water to 24 litres. Thing is, after doing this, the temperature of the wort is usually about 27 degrees or thereabouts which I'm worried is too warm to pitch yeast into.

What's the max wort temp you'd be comfortable pitching with?

Some yeast packets and instructions don't specify this and just tell you to crack on. Could it kill or harm the yeast?

Boiling water is not necessary. I've found that dme mixes in very well at 150f/65c, which would get you to a better pitching temperature. I'm guessing lme would also.

 

[MashBag]

You won't kill the yeast at 27c over 30c is a different matter.

That said, that amount of cooling will cause stress. And yeast don't like stress of any kind, and it usually equates to off flavours being produced.
It is better in beer to allow temps to gently rise and then remain stable.

 

[DocAnna]

There's another line of thought for pitching dry yeast...

Rehydration of dry yeast uses water 31 to 40 deg C with a reduction gradually over a half hour or so to wort temperature. So for dry yeast a brief period at over 30°C is not a bad thing. However it depends on how long you leave it there as rehydration is normally in about 100ml (10ml/g yeast). So if you are dry pitching into a smaller volume ferment and chilling in a fridge then even the low 30's are going to be fine for pitching.

Lager is different - go lower than fermenting temperature to pitch then let it rise to fermenting temperature.

 

[SMP Brewery]

Lager is different - go lower than fermenting temperature to pitch then let it rise to fermenting temperature.

I’m brewing a NZ Pilsner tomorrow and did not know this, thank you.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

You won't kill the yeast at 27c over 30c is a different matter.

It's more than that - 30C is actually the optimum temperature to grow most ale yeast. Remember they originally evolved to live on fruit trees in Mediterranean climates, we only ferment at lower temperatures to reduce off-flavours, growing below their preferred temperature makes their biochemistry more sluggish. Typically lager yeast die above about 37C and ale yeast above 42C but it does vary quite a bit depending on strain.

But in general, I wouldn't worry about temperature if you're below say 33C for lager and 37C for ale yeast, and even above that they may well still survive.

It's a good general rule that they don't like temperature fluctuations though.

 

[Foggie]

I regularly make a Winter Ale Style brew based on a Coopers DIY recipe and a crushed malt & hop tea.

The 1st instruction is to rehydrate yeast in tepid water. The ANSI standard specifies this range as 60 to 100F (16 to 38C) and the yeast looks fine.

The tea brings the temperature of the wort up to between 27C and 30C. I was initially worried.

Then I read somewhere that provided you get the temperature back down to 20C ish in 1st 12 hrs you are fine.

The theory is:
The higher initial temperature will have no impact on the taste because the yeast is generally multiplying at that stage. Any later, you'll start to stress the yeast and get off tastes.

 

[MashBag]

Yes indeed. I believe now there are 3 stages that are detectable.
Yeast Lag or rehydration, this is getting started and acclimatisation to their environment.

From there it will go into the Aerobic stage principally growing.

Then into the Anaerobic stage where it is not using the dissolved oxygen but the nitrogen and sugars in its environment to produce mainly alcohol & co2 and what we know as flavours.

 

[Neale]

I recently made a slight school boy error. I have a temperature controlled fridge that I use for fermentation and then to condition the bottles. I have a small heater in there to warm it up when needed.

I filled my bottles, popped them in the fridge, set the temp to 20 degc and left it to get on with conditioning. Went to check it the next morning to discover that half of the bottles had exploded. Turned out the temperature probe had fallen out of the door when I closed the fridge so my temperature controller thought it was 18C or what ever the temperature of my shed was at the time and kept heating the fridge to try and get it to 20C.

The actual temperature was at least 40C, I put the probe in the fridge to see and it got up to 40C before I had to go to work. So I suspect the temperature was quite a bit higher than 40C.

Anyway I assumed there was no way that the beer would carbonate due to dead yeast but a week and half later I opened one perfectly carbonated beer and it tasted great. So the yeast survived at least 40C seemingly without producing any bad flavours.

The yeast was S-04 if anyones interested.

I'll post the picture so you can all have a good laugh at my blunder.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Hi y'all,

New member here, thanks for all the help so far from some of the brewers on here, I've scoured many a topic and had lots of valuable info.

I'm back to brewing extract kits after returning to buckets from the Pinter 2.1 debacle. I've noticed that some of the instructions are saying to add the malt extract then 3.5 litres of boiling water then top up with cold water to 24 litres. Thing is, after doing this, the temperature of the wort is usually about 27 degrees or thereabouts which I'm worried is too warm to pitch yeast into.

What's the max wort temp you'd be comfortable pitching with?

Some yeast packets and instructions don't specify this and just tell you to crack on. Could it kill or harm the yeast?

some yeasts are fine with 27c

https://mangrovejacks.com/products/m29-french-sasion-yeast-10-ghttps://mangrovejacks.com/collections/craft-series-yeasts/products/m20-bavarian-wheat-10g
This one prefers it a little warmer

https://mangrovejacks.com/collections/craft-series-yeasts/products/kveik-yeast-10g

however this one doesn't....

https://mangrovejacks.com/collections/craft-series-yeasts/products/californian-lager-m54-yeast-10g
So it depends. If you brew outside the stated temperatures you MAY get off flavours.

I pitched my kviek brew today at 30.5c which is a little low, I've pitched kviek at 33c previously. A bottle of chilled water or a larger amount of boiling water is a good way to tweak the pitching temp

The other thing I'd say is what is meant by COLD water 5c , 10c ,15c ?