Yeast Rehydration - Do you? [POLL]

[Graz]

In my early days of brewing I used to just pitch dried yeast on top of the wort as per most kit instructions and generally everything went okay.

Then I had a few failed brews intermittently where either the yeast didn't start or got stuck and I've never had much luck restarting stuck brews. My Dad suggested I start rehydrating my yeast so I've pretty much done that ever since. In retrospect though having learnt a lot more about brewing over the last few years I suspect those failed brews could be attributed to quite a few different factors - pitching too hot, poor temperature control during fermentation (didn't have a brew fridge), and under pitching due to stingy packets supplied with Munton's kits.

I'm wondering whether to start skipping that process again as it's a bit of an inconvenience albeit minor i.e. boil some water, cool it whilst checking the temperature, add the yeast at the right temperature, wait 15 minutes or so before I can pitch etc. or should I stick with the if it aint broke mantra?

 

[lupinehorror]

i did with my first couple of brews then think i forgot and the resulting batch started fermenting in the same amount of time. haven't rehydrated yeast since and i've never had a stuck ferment. never use the stingy packs supplied with some kits though as you've said. usually replace it with something from CML if i'm concerned about it.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I generally use dried yeast and so far have never had a problem. 1 pack for 23 litres and an OG up to 1050, 2 packs where the OG is higher.

I do make a starter from rehydrated yeast if I’m making a big beer like a Russian Imperial.

 

[LeeH]

Did a few times, made no difference.
It’s just another job you don’t need to do on brew day.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I never rehydrate and I've not had any problems.

 

[chopps]

I have

- Hydrated in a jug, poured in and mixed.

- Sprinkled on top dry and left it.

- Sprinkled on top and immediately shaken it up.

- Sprinkled on top and waited 20 mins then shaken.

No difference whatsoever. I now do the last one as standard.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I have

- Hydrated in a jug, poured in and mixed.

- Sprinkled on top dry and left it.

- Sprinkled on top and immediately shaken it up.

- Sprinkled on top and waited 20 mins then shaken.

No difference whatsoever. I now do the last one as standard.

Is it shaken not stirred?

 

[chopps]

Shaken like Stevens.

 

[An Ankoù]

I always rehydrate dried yeasts.

 

[UKSkydiver]

I did
Then I didn't
Then I came across this article that shows a reasonably significant improvment hydrating in warm water - More on Yeast Rehydration | BKYeast (wordpress.com)
So now I hydrate as I feel many small improvements could total a better overell end product

 

[grooves]

I always rehydrate - if I remember...

 

[Sadfield]

Depends on which fv I'm using. If it's the open one, then yes, just to ensure it gets off to the fastest possible start. The fv is covered until the krausen forms. This means I can pitch in the afternoon and then remove the cover in the evening, before going to bed. Otherwise I agree with Fermentis that it doesn't make much difference.

 

[chthon]

I always rehydrate in warm water (30° C), but sometimes I rehydrate the day before, so that I can immediately pitch when my wort has the correct temperature.

As an experiment (something I read somewhere), for my last brew I only cooled to 30° C, pitched my yeast dry and moved my fermentation vessel to the place where fermentation would be done, which was a much cooler place. So while the yeast woke up, the vessel cooled down. Four hours later I already got kraüsen.

It was with T58, a yeast for which you don't always read good reviews combined with higher temperature. Bottled yesterday, and I don't notice excessive (or anything at all) off tastes and/or smells.

But this is a small vessel, and in steel, for a brew volume of 9l, so perhaps I wouldn't try this with larger containers.

 

[Cwrw666]

I have rehydrated in the past but don't bother anymore. I've never found any difference. So I just sprinkle on the surface and leave it alone.
Pretty sure I've read somewhere that 11g of dried yeast is a pretty big dose and even if you lose half the cells on pitching you've still got more than enough left alive.
Muntons kits used to give you 5g which they reckoned was enough but a lot of people thought wasn't. Hence stuck brews at 1020.

 

[Petrolhead]

I think I differ from all of you.

I make up a full starter with malt extract, add the dried yeast and run on the stirrer for a few days.

On brew day I switch off the stirrer an hour or so before brewing and when it comes to pitching I drain as much wort, prob beer, off the yeast as possible but enough to form a slurry, pour some into a centrifuge tube which I have sterilised in the microwave and pitch the remainder into the wort. It goes off like a steam train and I put the tube in the fridge for next time.

If I am using a tube of the harvested yeast I allow a few more days to build the starter. Pretty soon you have a nice little yeast collection in the fridge.

 

[Graz]

Not quite 50/50 then but not far off

I think I'll pitch it straight on the wort for my next brew or two and see how things go.

Thanks for all the feedback though.

 

[RichK]

I did for a while but didn't seem to be any benefit

 

[Drunkula]

Yeast are your work force. Why kill half of them. It's disrespectful.

 

[chopps]

Only kill them once they have completed the job.

 

[Brewnaldo]

I rehydrate, having had a rather odd brew where the yeast sat on top of a foam layer for about 2 days and didn't get going. So now I do it just to ensure it gets right in there about it's business.