Good points. The question then becomes what the proper range of osmolarity for yeast cell rehydration is? As most should recognize, wort has a huge ionic content and RO or DI water has virtually none. Deciphering what is tolerated the best by rehydrated yeast doesn’t seem to be well researched, but the recommendation by Clayton Cone does seem to push that desired ionic content toward the low side.
On a related side note, it does appear that using a solute with magnesium instead of calcium for yeast rehydration is preferable. Yeast have a FAR lower need for calcium than for magnesium and infusing magnesium at this rehydration step does appear more beneficial. Calcium displaces magnesium from yeast cell walls and that can injure the cell performance. In addition, natural wort typically has 2 to 6 times more magnesium than calcium. So using a mineral like epsom salt for the ionic content for yeast rehydration is sound.
I’m assuming this all doesn’t really apply if I’m making a starter with DME and distilled/RO for liquid yeast. The DME should contain minerals of the water from which it was created, correct?
Thank you Martin. I’ve been digging and all I can find in 10-20 year old info. Various mfr are listing various degrees of hardness, but no consensus. Not much has been done recently.
On the burgers, how can you resist 18 ways and juicy?, I’ll ride my burro into town for that. Central Florida history buffs will get it. We used to have 3 or 4 gas stations, a couple restaurants and a HoJo. They just bulldozed the HoJo, restaurants were burned down years ago when I95 went through, all that’s left is a Pilot & Stuckeys & the Desert Inn. The local crowd is impressive on a weekend night at The Inn, only once.