Pitching yeast Question

[zephed666]

Hello:
I am a newbie to home brewing and have been reading the John Palmer book online. He seems to mention a different way pitch the yeast.
-add to the water in the fermentation bucket and pour the wort on top :
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter1-2.html

IU have read in other places just to pitch the yeast to the wort in the fermentation bucket.

Does it matter either way?

Thanks!

 

[JeepGuy]

As long as the wort is ready, I don't think it shouldn't matter either way.

 

[revco]

I don't think it makes a difference, it's just whatever method works better for your process. The yeast will go into the solution and mix regardless of whether you add yeast to wort or put wort on yeast. For many of us, we'll use our fermentation chambers to more efficiently cool the wort to pitching temps and give us some time for cleanup, which sort of necessitates adding yeast to wort.

 

[unionrdr]

Technically, it doesn't matter. But I prefer to strain the wort into primary, which not only gets the gunk out, but aerates it as well. Then add cold top off water to finish getting it down to pitch temp. Stir roughly up to 5 minutes to mix wort & top off water. Take hydrometer sample for OG, then pitch the yeast. I don't want to loose any yeast to sample taking.

 

[richmke]

It is better for the yeast to re-hydrate in water without sugar. Hence the suggestion.

 

[zephed666]

Technically, it doesn't matter. But I prefer to strain the wort into primary, which not only gets the gunk out, but aerates it as well. Then add cold top off water to finish getting it down to pitch temp. Stir roughly up to 5 minutes to mix wort & top off water. Take hydrometer sample for OG, then pitch the yeast. I don't want to loose any yeast to sample taking.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Another question now:
If you strain the wort into the primary, is that bad if there is a hop addition at the end of the boil?

 

[unionrdr]

No, after chilling the wort, then straining into primary & topping off will work fine. I've done it many times.

 

[zephed666]

No, after chilling the wort, then straining into primary & topping off will work fine. I've done it many times.

Topping off? Sorry...

 

[unionrdr]

Well, if you do partial boils, you top off to recipe volume in the fermenter.

 

[Gavin C]

If you do a hop addition at the end of the boil just proceed in you usual manner.

Pour the wort into the carboy contaning the cold water. If using glass dont do it the other way around if the wort is hot as you can shatter the vessel.

The method you are using is sound. Put the water in the carboy. Put the yeast into the carboy containing water (this will rehydrate the dried yeast which is desirable)

15 minutes or so later pour in the wort (cooled as much as you can with what your equipment allows). Again your trying not to crack the glass from heat shock). Pouring the wort into the vessel with the water in it allows better mixing of the two; water and wort.

Don't let the hop schedule; example additions at the end of the boil, distract you from the next step; cooling the wort and putting in the fermenter (FV).

Topping up or top up water is the addition of water to the wort in the FV already, to achieve a desired volume and/or specific gravity.

Hope this helps you out some

 

[zephed666]

If you do a hop addition at the end of the boil just proceed in you usual manner.

Pour the wort into the carboy contaning the cold water. If using glass dont do it the other way around if the wort is hot as you can shatter the vessel.

The method you are using is sound. Put the water in the carboy. Put the yeast into the carboy containing water (this will rehydrate the dried yeast which is desirable)

15 minutes or so later pour in the wort (cooled as much as you can with what your equipment allows). Again your trying not to crack the glass from heat shock). Pouring the wort into the vessel with the water in it allows better mixing of the two; water and wort.

Don't let the hop schedule; example additions at the end of the boil, distract you from the next step; cooling the wort and putting in the fermenter (FV).

Topping up or top up water is the addition of water to the wort in the FV already, to achieve a desired volume and/or specific gravity.

Hope this helps you out some

OK. So I can rehydrate the yeast in the fermenter with the extra water. And if there is a hop addition at the end of the boil it's ok to add the hops, cool the wort, then strain into the fermenter (that already has the yeast and water).

I assume if I am using liquid yeast I can either add it to the water or after the wort is strained into the fermenter and just stir it in a bit...

thanks!

 

[Gavin C]

OK. So I can rehydrate the yeast in the fermenter with the extra water. And if there is a hop addition at the end of the boil it's ok to add the hops, cool the wort, then strain into the fermenter (that already has the yeast and water).

I assume if I am using liquid yeast I can either add it to the water or after the wort is strained into the fermenter and just stir it in a bit...

thanks!

You can strain the wort as it goes into the fermenter. The debris is of no big concern for many folks. Others will strain. The straining can also help aerate the wort.

If you are using liquid yeast I would not add that to the water first. As it is liquid yeast and already hydrated this sudden drop in osmotic pressure may damage the yeast cell membranes. I don't have anything to support this statement however.

With the dry yeast it is different as rehydration is desirable and putting it into the water in the carboy 15 mins before the wort kills two birds with one stone; rehydration of the yeast and readying the carboy to receive warm wort.

I would not pitch the yeast (liquid) until everything is well mixed together in the carboy. (shake the hell out of it for a couple of minutes.

 

[zephed666]

You can strain the wort as it goes into the fermenter. The debris is of no big concern for many folks. Others will strain. The straining can also help aerate the wort.

If you are using liquid yeast I would not add that to the water first. As it is liquid yeast and already hydrated this sudden drop in osmotic pressure may damage the yeast cell membranes. I don't have anything to support this statement however.

With the dry yeast it is different as rehydration is desirable and putting it into the water in the carboy 15 mins before the wort kills two birds with one stone; rehydration of the yeast and readying the carboy to receive warm wort.

I would not pitch the yeast (liquid) until everything is well mixed together in the carboy. (shake the hell out of it for a couple of minutes.

So add everything to the fermenter and then shake it up to aerate and then pitch the yeast - if liquid. Should it be stirred in after that then or no need?

 

[Gavin C]

So add everything to the fermenter and then shake it up to aerate and then pitch the yeast - if liquid. Should it be stirred in after that then or no need?

You can give it a shake after you pitch the yeast too if you want. There is no harm, nor is there a benefit unless some is stuck on the wall of the FV above the top of the beer. Swish it around to get all the yeast in.

 

[Clonefan94]

I'm no yeast expert by any stretch, but it seems to me, with all the things that can stress yeast, cause loss, that once it's ready, adding it to anything but wort, intuitively seems like a bad idea to me. I use mostly dry yeast, and always rehydrate in about 100ml of 90ish degree water. Let it sit for 20 minutes or so to get going and by that time, it's usually pretty close to the temp of the wort I'm adding it to.

Just seems that if using dry yeast, the manufacturers usually suggest a volume of water to rehydrate in. And obviously using liquid, you've probably built a starter or have 2 packs ready to go. Just seems for best yeast health, when it's ready, your best bet is to get it right into wort and go to work. Adding to just water at that point seems almost like pulling a fish out of water?

I guess this is all assuming he is talking about having to have top off water ready to go. I don't think my 100ml of water would do much at all at the bottom of my fermenter. I don't think it would re-hydrate well at all. Unless I am misunderstanding the question.

 

[unionrdr]

If a gallon or so of top off goes in first, & is ice cold to finish chilling the wort down to pitch temp, then how is that good for the yeast? I rehydrate in 80-90F water for 30 minutes. But water chilled down to 40-45F wouldn't be that good for the yeast.

 

[Clonefan94]

If a gallon or so of top off goes in first, & is ice cold to finish chilling the wort down to pitch temp, then how is that good for the yeast? I rehydrate in 80-90F water for 30 minutes. But water chilled down to 40-45F wouldn't be that good for the yeast.

Yeah, this is kind of what I posted above. I'd actually like to hear more on this procedure. It just seems to easy to shock yeast, that this would be a really bad idea.

 

[zephed666]

Funny, I never even thought about using the extra top off water to cool the wort. So I wouldn't have had an issue. I would boil the water and add to the fermenter when it was cool enough and then start the process of making the wort...