Yeast Nutrient - Do you use it?

[NickW]

Hi all,

Been listening to some BN radio this morning and they were saying its good practice to use a little yeast nutrient. Apparently helps the yeast develop better cell walls to aid in the later parts of fermentation and cleanup... do you guys use it?

 

[graysalchemy]

Not in beer I don't but i do in wine. i was always under the impression that the wort should have plenty of nutrients in it.

But it does make sense to look after your yeast at all stages of the ferment. :hmm: :hmm:

 

[NickW]

Can't do any harm I guess? They were briefly dispelling a myth that "wort has all the nutrients it needs".

 

[winelight]

I have some but don't use it because it wasn't sure it made any difference. I may as well use it since I've got it.

 

[PD]

Never had the need to add any, my yeasts seem to work through all the available sugars without any outside assistance.

 

[fizz head1982]

I read some where the greatest advantage was it helped the yeast to reproduce but I also heard from some one this would not matter on the first batch and it would be wise to use if your were cultivating and washing your own yeast. However, although this is a longer process, its is a good idea to use it when making mead as honey has no nutrients for yeast which is what i started brewing. I put a teaspoon of it in 23litres of beer. Can't hurt. Mead I used 1 teaspoon per gallon.

 

[dennisdk2000]

I don't currently, but then I'm brewing beer with dried yeast. When I move on to liquid yeast, which I will attempt to top crop, wash, etc., I will be using nutrients. I want to do all I can to help the little beasts! Sounds like they're essential when brewing wine and mead, and a wise inclusion when brewing high gravity beers.

Dennis

 

[boozy_shoes]

Yes I use brupaks "Yeast Vit" http://hopandgrape.co.uk/public/detailv ... RU20025087 it only needs 1/2 tsp ber 5 gallons so the tub lasts me ages. I have thought about not using it but it works out so cheap anyway that it's not worth risking a slow or no starter.

 

[godfrey]

I have moved away from the standard DAP nutrients for my wine

I now use a complete nutrient feed like tronozomol or fermax

give my little soldiers a hearty breakfast before battle :thumb:

 

[Sandimas]

I've just used it for the first time, with a Wherry kit.

I tend to do mainly Extract these days and have never needed it with separate yeast packs, but have found the yeast that comes with some of the kits to be a bit weak. Wherry in particular is known for sticking around 1020. So on advice I read elsewhere, I dropped some in this time - I haven't measured it yet but it's been going 8 days suggesting it hasn't stuck, and the temp in the room hasn't been particularlly warm, leading me to conclude that it's worked.

I actually bought it for my Damson Wine and that fermented out like a dream in double-quick time.

 

[rpt]

Kits come with only about 5g of yeast so I can see nutrient helping but with a 11g sachet of dry yeast in 23L of standard gravity wort it should not need nutrient.

 

[pittsy]

ive been using this for a few batches now http://www.whitelabs.com/other-products ... t-nutrient

 

[godfrey]

ive been using this for a few batches now http://www.whitelabs.com/other-products ... t-nutrient

^^^^^. DAP :-(

product without Diammonium Phosphate (DAP)

http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_productdeta ... oductID=15

tronozymol

fermax

there are others :thumb:

the easy way to know if your nutrients are DAP
just smell it.... especially after you dissolved some in water
if it smell like chicken **** or cat **** it is DAP

 

[dennisdk2000]

ive been using this for a few batches now http://www.whitelabs.com/other-products ... t-nutrient

^^^^^. DAP :-(

product without Diammonium Phosphate (DAP)

http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_productdeta ... oductID=15

tronozymol

fermax

there are others :thumb:

the easy way to know if your nutrients are DAP
just smell it.... especially after you dissolved some in water
if it smell like chicken **** or cat **** it is DAP

Not sure what the issue with DAP is?

When I checked out Fermax yeast nutrient it said it contains DAP...

Dennis

 

[godfrey]

I guess the tronozymol I use also contains some DAP

but the complete nutrients have everything a yeast can want and need

 

[brewtim]

I've just used some of Murphy's yeast vit in a 1.070 Belgian, but I've got nothing to compare it with, just thought it would help it along nicely:

http://www.murphyhomebrew.com/yeasts-nutrients/yeast-vit-100g/prod_107.html

http://www.murphyhomebrew.com/tech-sheets/tech_yeast vit.pdf

 

[Sandimas]

After a couple of test brews, I'm now utterly convinced that yeast nutrient is helpful with kits. I've suffered my fair share of stuck brews, mainly around this time of year when the house temp is quite low. I've just done a Wherry and Brupaks Almondsbury Old and both have kept going down to 1010 in a fairly cool room (17/18C during the day).

So I shall use a good teaspoon in my winter brews from now on, doesn't seem to need it in the summer when the house is a lot warmer.

 

[BeerisGOD]

I always think a nutrient will not do harm more good overall. hope you're still brewing

 

[TheRedDarren]

From my experience coming from my first ag brews with no water treatment and using dried yeast to now, where I treat the water for chlorine and adjust the profile for correct ph, use nutrient and liquid yeast and use a fermentation chamber, I can see a massive difference in my fermentation. It's quicker, healthier, more consistent and just tastes better and cleaner.
I do all I can to help the little beauties, after all, there's no beers without them.

 

[Simonh82]

Yeast nutrient is definitely of benefit when fermenting high gravity brews. I can't find the paper now but I read something in the Journal of the Institute of Brewing that suggested that additional yeast nutrients can help protect yeast from the damaging affects of high gravity wort and high alcohol beer. The additional nutrition allows them to build stronger cell walls whilst they are multiplying meaning higher overall viability of the yeast. This can lead to higher attenuation than if you brewed without additional nutrition.

The yeast have evolved to work in normal strength wort so there is less need for additional nutrients but I think it isn't a bad idea to use it.

I add 1/2 tsp of brewpacks yeast nutrient as standard but have also forgotten it on occasion without and problems.