I have a couple of different jars of yeast nutrient in my brewing supplies drawer, including one called “yeast energizer”. I typically will throw in a pinch or so in my starters, but I don’t always remember and I can’t say I have noticed a difference when I use it.
Do any of you have strong opinions one way or the other about yeast nutrients?
I use nutrients in most of my starters and every batch in the boil but I wouldn’t say I have a strong feeling. Always just seemed to me like a cheap insurance policy that can’t hurt.
I’ve never used it, I guess just because I’ve never had any apparent problems, so I never bought any. I actually have a jar of DAP that someone left at my house, and I still don’t use it.
I view it as being like a multi-vitamin for humans. It won’t do any harm, but as long as you have healthy yeast and feed them a healthy diet, it won’t change anything.
The only time I’ve ever used yeast nutrient is in mead & maple wine. Every time I brew a big beer, I think to myself “I really meant to put some yeast nutrient in there”. But they’ve all turned out fine regardless.
If I ever tried to brew a HUGE beer (like over 15%), I’d be tempted to do something like a small staggered nutrient addition schedule.
I use it in all of my beers, and it is especially important for mead.
There are many different types of yeast nutrients that are marketed under different names with the same ingredients or the same name but different ingredients - it’s frustrating, but you really need to know what you have. I recommend a complete nutrient like Wyeast Nutrient Blend for all your beers, but especially if the yeast is being repitched. You might not need it for every batch, but the first time you leave it out and needed it you’ll regret it. I view it as cheap insurance.
I have a generic “yeast nutrient” that supplies nitrogen and phosphorous. I have a generic “yeast energizer” that supplies vitamins and trace minerals including zinc. Generally, I don’t use either except for meads. I might use the energizer for my next saison that uses the finicky Dupont yeast, which I have not worked with before, and for very big beers, which need more zinc apparently.
How and when would you add it? In the starter? Or to the wort?
I must have two or three bottles of nutrient that I’ve never used and recently bought a bottle figuring I should use it and not remembering that I have several already…
I use it in every brew as well. Cheap insurance as already stated. I add with Whirfloc and my IC at 10 minutes left in the boil.
Dave
+1 every time, unless I forget - but I am repitching, almost always. I am about 6-8 batches in with my WLP 800 and 34/70 batches.
“Yeast energizer” is probably DAP or diammonium phosphate, which is pretty much meth for yeast. It’s great for getting yeast to finish a big beer, but it’s not really what you want for yeast starter unless it also contains nutrients and/or yeast hulls. You’re trying to build yeast health, not just get them to work faster/harder. Yeast hulls is just dead yeast which the yeast will scavenge for micronutrients. DAP really isn’t helping in a low gravity starter wort which the yeast can easily ferment anyway.
You can go either way, starter or in the boil. I put it in the last 15 minutes of the boil, but I don’t make starters and am repitching fresh yeast slurry. If I were to make a starter, I might throw a little in there but mostly it is just in the boil.
I don’t know that I’ve made a beer without yeast nutrients. I use Wyeast Nutrient blend, a pinch in my starters and 1/2 tsp with 10 min left in the boil.
I do this as well. Is it necessary to do it at both the starter stage and in the boil. I really havent given much thought to it until now. What say you all?
I use mostly Wyeast so I do not add nutrient to my starters, only to the boil.
Dave
I definitely use it in mead and big beers but usually leave it out of smaller beers unless I feel like I am underpitching and don’t have the time to step up a starter.
I also use it when trying to grow up from a really small quantity of cells. It probably wouldn’t hurt when trying to bottle harvest although I haven’t done that myself.
Lately my S 05 has been having a really long lag time. I started using the Wyeast Nutrient Blend and am getting activity about 12 hours after pitching with that same yeast. So now I am going to start using it in everything I do. Because I have definitely seen where it makes a difference.
I was useing it always and recently stopped because I was getting heavy handed with it. I started to taste it in really delicate beers like kolsche. I add some to big beers with 15 minutes left (1/2 tsp or so). And if I was planning on repitching the yeast I might well add a little to help the yeast build reserves
What’s it taste like? I can’t believe I’ve never just tasted some. I use it in every starter and most boils closer to 1/8 of a tsp and even less for the starters.
At that level you probably wouldn’t taste it. I was rushing to get a batch of kolsche ready for a comp. I only had 3.5 weeks from brew to judging so I used maybe 2tsp or even a little more in 30 litres. It finished and dropped clear in time (at least with a few days at 34*) and did well enough in the comp but the judges notes and my own tastes both found a certain harsh mineral/chemical quality that I am pretty sure came from the nutrient.
This time around I didn’t add any but I have more like 6 weeks to let this one do it’s thing. so we will see how that goes.
I use the Wyeast also. A pinch in the starter and the recommended 1/2 tsp. per 5 gal. at 10 min. to flameout in the boil.