I bought some Crosby & Baker Fermax Yeast Nutrient and on the bottle it recommends to use 1 tsp per gal, however I’ve been told to only use 1 tsp per 5 gal. Which is correct?
Also, at what point in the boil is it best to add it?
Does the it say 1 tsp/gallon of must. That would be the wine dosage.
For beer maybe a 1/2 to 1 tsp towards the end of the boil.
I don’t think it specifies must/wort, but it is sold for both. I’d agree 1tsp/gallon is a lot. Unless they’ve added some filler, which I doubt, I’d go with 1tsp/5gal. Wine must has fewer nutrients than wort, which is why you’d use less.
Yeah, it doesn’t specify must/wort on the bottle. I’ll go with 1 tsp/5 gal. Thanks!
Adding at the end of the boil…like w/in the last 15 min, 10 min, or 5 min?
It’s for the yeast, so it doesn’t really matter when you add it. I don’t think boiling hurts it, so you could add it beginning, middle, end of boil, in the fermentor. Same effect. Just pick what is convenient for you. I like to throw nurtients, irish moss, etc in the bowl with my flavor hop addition if I’m using one. That way I can’t forget it.
I can confirm that 5 teaspoons added to a 5 gallon extract batch is way too much! I just brewed a cream ale with 1.5 LB 6 Row Grain, 3.3LB LME and 5LB DME and added 1 teaspoon per gallon as the Fermax label states and after only 6 hours the fermentation was the most vigorous I’ve ever seen. I ended up losing ~95 cubic inches via blowoff. (1 inch from my 11 inch diameter fermentor). That’s almost 5 x 12 ounce bottles, painful to throw that beer/StarSan mix down the drain… I’ll try 1 teaspoon next batch.
Don’t be too discouraged - get ready and brew again! And welcome to the forum - great Brewers hang around here, so don’t be afraid to ask a question or to question the conventional approach. We all learn as we go…
Would yeast nutrient be good to use in starters? Or is it best left for the actual fermentation?
Absolutely! Maybe even more so than in your batch.
For sure. I have always used it in my starters. That is when the yeast really need it most = for growth. Also helps in the kettle too!
Ok, so I should add to both the starter and the last few minutes of the boil? I have some on hand I used for a batch of mead I made about a year ago, and never thought to use it in my beer. Usually I come in just a couple points high on my FG, and maybe this will help!
Thanks guys! I feel like Im learning more and more every day from this site! (and also learning from Denny and Brulosophy, some things just don’t matter with as little as they can change a batch :P)
Yep, use it on both. I can’t say it makes a world of difference, but it’s cheap insurance. Let me know if it makes a difference in your FG…I’m skeptical. Also, how do you know you’re a couple points high on your FG? How do you know it isn’t right where it’s supposed to be?
Maybe I m misunderstanding what you are asking or intending, but what I mean is I typically aim for a particular FG. In almost all of my brews I always end up a few points higher than what I was originally aiming for, or what a recipe says I should be at. Now, recently I have been much much closer than where I started. This last one I was only off my FG by one point (1.015 was target 1.016 was actual), and I considered that one as right on the money. That was only my 8th batch too I think. I don’t stress too much about it since it all tastes good, and since Im still so new to the whole brewing process and experience. This was the first one I really put a ton of effort into fermentation control, and also it was my first time using a starter, AND doing BIAB. I really enjoyed this brew! Im gonna have my first taste of the final product on Tuesday, but when I tasted the uncarbonated beer it was DELICIOUS!
I add a quarter of a teaspoon of Fermax to starters.
Mark, I use WYeast nutrient because that’s what I started with. But I’m always open to improvement. Do you consider Fermax better? Getting close to time to order more/new.