I have a couple packets of this that I’m going to use for a brew on Saturday. My neighbour wants to make a light coloured but higher alcohol beer for his 21 yr old brothers B-day (which is no big deal here where the drinking age is 19).
I’m gonna do a 10 gal batch using:
20 lbs Pils
5 lbs Minute Rice
1 lb White table sugar.
Should run about 1.072. This is NOT my choice but I’m doing a favour for a friend.
I’m gonna split the brew in 1/2 with 5 gals getting a big pitch of WLP007 and I have the US-05 that I was gonna try in the other half. Should I hydrate the yeast or just pitch both packets dry. I would like to hydrate but is it as easy as pitching the yeast onto some distilled water? Please let me know what you think would be best route for 5 gals of 1.072 wort with US-05.
Thanks
It is easy to rehydrate. Sprinkle dry yeast onto 10 times the amount of water by weight (11g yeast into 110g water, which is 110mL, which is almost 1/2 cup. Water should be 90-100F. Let sit for 15 minutes. Stir into a slurry and pitch. If there is a huge temperature difference between the yeast and wort you might want to temper the yeast by adding small amounts of wort.
I do both rehydrated and not rehydrated. When I rehydrate I just microwave filtered water for a few minutes and cover with plastic wrap. Wait an hour and add yeast.
Step by step instructions were recently posted on the aha main page.
+1
Just rehydrate while cleaning, chilling, or any other end of the brewing process. Cover with a little plastic wrap or foil and pitch when ready within an hour or so. Not sure how long it can sit, but I go up to an hour at times.
I vote for sprinkle without hydrating. I’ve tried both ways, and my sprinkle batches are every bit as good as my hydrated ones. I’ve stopped hydrating for simplicity’s sake.
That’s the common wisdom but there are so many instances of people testing side by side with sensory analysis and not tasting any difference it begins to make one wonder.
That being said it is an awfully easy procedure and hardly seems like a big deal to do.
I agree it is an easy step to take to rehydrate. But, thing is, the first couple dozen times I used it I just sprinkled on top - I had good results, good attenuation, etc. So there was a baseline to compare to. The next several times I rehydrated and could literally tell no difference in attenuation, lag time, or beer quality. Undoubtedly on a cellular level it make sense to rehydrate, no arguments. Just can’t look back and pick a time when I saw any difference whatsoever, or I’d damn sure be doing it . Having said all this, I prefer 1056 when there’s time to make a starter. I use S-05 for spur of the moment American styles brewing.
I remember JZ saying that higher gravity worts were particularly harder on the yeast if you don’t rehydrate. Think of it as drinking ice cream through a straw versus a milk shake.
I definitely trust Jamil when it comes to yeast, but in the end it’s the beer that really matters, not how much yeast I’ve grown. For the beers I’ve made I just haven’t noticed any Ill effects from sprinkling.
Regardless, I think everyone should try it for themselves. There’s nothing wrong with rehydrating, I’ve just got no need for it myself.
According to my experience, which is worth at least as much as anything JZ has ever said, you won’t notice any difference between sprinkling the yeast directly on the wort and rehydrating.
I also agree with tDS - just add a little more yeast if it freaks you out. Or rehydrate if you really feel you need too. But side by side batches have proven to me that there is no difference in flavor - at least not on beers under 1.065.
Fwiw I mean no disrespect to jamil. He has been a disseminator of great information. But if you have the means to experiment, it’s always best to find out for yourself. It may be better to rehydrate in higher gravity beers (though even there I have not had bad experienced sprinkling directly on wort and maybe over pitching about 10-20 %) but side by side on IPAs 1.065 (ish) I have not seen any noticeable difference.
