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Mead Lovers Digest #1206
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1206, 13 August 2005
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1206 13 August 2005
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate? ("Dan McFeeley")
Re: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate? (Evening Star)
Re: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate? (stencil)
Re: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate? (Charles Sifers)
Re Yeast Hydration ("Charles Gee")
Re: Subject: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate? (Robert Keith Moore)
rehidrating yeast (Zertwiz@aol.com)
Rehydration (Ken/Jean Schramm)
Re: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate? (Dick Adams)
Rehyrdate yeast (Leo Vitt)
NOTE: Digest appears when there is enough material to send one.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate?
From: "Dan McFeeley" <mcfeeley@keynet.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 08:39:45 -0500
On Fri, 5 Aug 2005, in MLD 1205, "beekeepers" wrote:
>. . . .Mr Schramm suggested rehydrating the yeast by adding
>it to 1/2 cup water, and letting it stand for 15 minutes(no
>longer). He then says to pitch it into the must, and then
>aerate well.
>My local brew shop guy said that yeast manufacturers are
>leaving that policy behind, in favor of aerating must first,
>and then sprinkling yeast on top of surface. He says Mr.
>Schramm's way kills yeast. What do ya'll think? Rehydrate
>or sprinkle? And either way, aerate before or after pitching
>the yeast?
I'm not sure why your brew shop guy says that rehydration
kills yeast, or that yeast manufacturers are no longer suggesting
the method. Take a look at this URL and you'll see that
Lallemand, a major yeast manufacturer, maintains that yeast
hydration is important for getting the fermentation off to a
good start:
http://consumer.lallemand.com/danstar-lalvin/lalvinrehyd.html
A little more information on yeast starters and rehydration can
be found at Jack Keller's web site:
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/feeding.asp
<><><><><><><><><><>
<><><><><><><><>
Dan McFeeley
"Meon an phobail a thogail trid an chultur"
(The people's spirit is raised through culture)
------------------------------
Subject: Re: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate?
From: Evening Star <eveningstartwo@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 08:43:30 -0700 (PDT)
> Subject: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate?
> From: "beekeepers" <beekeepers@insightbb.com>
> Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 19:46:06 -0500
>
> I am an absolute beginner. I have just read Ken Schramm's "the compleat
> Meadmaker", and purchased Vintner's Best beginner's kit and several
> other things such as bottles, yeasts, etc.
> Mr Schramm suggested rehydrating the yeast by adding it to 1/2 cup
> water, and letting it stand for 15 minutes(no longer). He then says to
> pitch it into the must, and then aerate well.
> My local brew shop guy said that yeast manufacturers are leaving
> that policy behind, in favor of aerating must first, and then sprinkling
> yeast on top of surface. He says Mr. Schramm's way kills yeast. What
> do ya'll think? Rehydrate or sprinkle? And either way, aerate before or
> after pitching the yeast?
Uh, with all due respect, the brew shop guy is wrong. Ever bake
anything with yeast? You rehydrate with warm water and sugar. I've
been doing this for over 5 years and I always rehydrate and so far,
(looks around for wood to knock on) I haven't had a stuck fermentation
so I think rehydrating works. And yes, I do use a pinch of sugar to
wake the beasties up and get them going. When that cup is foaming and
trying to go over the top of the cup, there is little doubt that the
beasties are alive. And my primary gets aerated on a daily basis. The
6.5 gallon carboy is usually in the kitchen or living room and hubby
just loves to swirl it and watch that airlock whistle. After a month
or so, I rerack to a 5 gallon secondary and it gets left alone.
Maureen
------------------------------
Subject: Re: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate?
From: stencil <etcs.ret@verizon.net>
Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 12:08:26 -0400
On Tue, 09 Aug 2005 07:56:44 -0600 (MDT),
in Mead Lover's Digest #1205, 9 August 2005
"beekeepers" wrote:
> Mr Schramm suggested [ ... ]
> My local brew shop guy said [ ... ]
Read and follow the directions on the yeast packet. Those are the procedures
that apply to the yeast you have. Things may change in the future, but carpe
diem.
>And either way, aerate before or
>after pitching the yeast?
>
Aerate the must, pitch the yeast; then after about 36 hours, aerate again.
the Homebrew Digest
http://hbd.org
just finished presenting a roundtable discussion entitled "Fortnight of
Yeast;" search within the last couple of weeks' worth of HBD's for the
keyword "aerate" and sop it up.
stencil sends
------------------------------
Subject: Re: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate?
From: Charles Sifers <chazzone@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 11:37:04 -0500
On Aug 9, 2005, at 8:56 AM, mead-request@talisman.com wrote:
> Subject: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate?
> From: "beekeepers" <beekeepers@insightbb.com>
> Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 19:46:06 -0500
>
> I am an absolute beginner. I have just read Ken Schramm's "the
> compleat
> Meadmaker", and purchased Vintner's Best beginner's kit and several
> other things such as bottles, yeasts, etc.
> Mr Schramm suggested rehydrating the yeast by adding it to 1/2 cup
> water, and letting it stand for 15 minutes(no longer). He then says to
> pitch it into the must, and then aerate well.
> My local brew shop guy said that yeast manufacturers are leaving
> that policy behind, in favor of aerating must first, and then
> sprinkling
> yeast on top of surface. He says Mr. Schramm's way kills yeast. What
> do ya'll think? Rehydrate or sprinkle? And either way, aerate before
> or
> after pitching the yeast?
>
I think your LBSG's technique is flawed, as it's hard to really mix
dry yeast into the must, just by sprinkling, and any method of aeration
used after would likely result in yeast adhering to the sides of the
container, instead of mixing into the must. On the other hand, mixing
dry yeast into plain water (especially chlorinated city water) is not
likely to be the best option either, and likely does result in yeast
death.
When ever I use "dry" yeast, I always rehydrate, however I don't
necessarily follow Schramm's technique. I either mix some honey into
the water, or use must, and then set it on a magna stirrer and let it
spin. By the time I'm ready to pitch, it's working like mad.
As for aerating the must, I aerate before pitching, as well as after,
by racking. It seems to really get the little beasties (yeasties?)
fired up.
It's an extra step, or two, but has resulted in some great meade, and
no stuck fermentations.
- -zz
------------------------------
Subject: Re Yeast Hydration
From: "Charles Gee" <cgee@mhtv.ca>
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 19:39:46 -0700
Makes little difference which way you do it what does make a difference
is oxygen. I bought a new air pump for an aquarium along with hose and
an air stone. I pitch the yeast ie sprinkle dry granules on the nice
warm must/wort/what have you dropin the air stone and turn on the pump
works great and the ferment takes off overnight. Only trouble I had was
with a batch of high malt brew I had head everywhere foaming out of the
primary like it was demonized, come to think of it probably was cause
that was a herbed beer!
Of course I sterilize the stone and tubing before use and let the
rampant yeasties take cate of the other stuff. No problems other than
the mess from the foaming!
Charles Gee
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Subject: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate?
From: Robert Keith Moore <Rob@ineedachef.com>
Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 23:32:06 -0700
I do the aerate and sprinkle method usually. For some yeasts I rehydrate
and for others like Vierka yeasts they have to be in a starter for up
four days before you can pitch them. What ever I do I always aerate
first then pitch.
Good Luck
>Subject: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate?
>From: "beekeepers" <beekeepers@insightbb.com>
>Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 19:46:06 -0500
>
>I am an absolute beginner. I have just read Ken Schramm's "the compleat
>Meadmaker", and purchased Vintner's Best beginner's kit and several
>other things such as bottles, yeasts, etc.
> Mr Schramm suggested rehydrating the yeast by adding it to 1/2 cup
>water, and letting it stand for 15 minutes(no longer). He then says to
>pitch it into the must, and then aerate well.
> My local brew shop guy said that yeast manufacturers are leaving
>that policy behind, in favor of aerating must first, and then sprinkling
>yeast on top of surface. He says Mr. Schramm's way kills yeast. What
>do ya'll think? Rehydrate or sprinkle? And either way, aerate before or
>after pitching the yeast?
------------------------------
Subject: rehidrating yeast
From: Zertwiz@aol.com
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 03:06:04 EDT
I thing your local brew shop guys is off a bit there I work in a very large
California winery and every take of wine we make the yeast is hydrated . and
the reds get sparged with filtered oxygen here's the formula add the yeast
to water that is 100 degrees I believe for 15 minuets this time in the hot
water allows the dehydrated yeast to pop back to life then we add must to the
water so the yeast are in a diluted sugar solution wate to see some foaming say
another 10 minuets then add it in to the tank. and away it goes
Chris Anderson
Delicato vinyard cellar worker
------------------------------
Subject: Rehydration
From: Ken/Jean Schramm <schramk@mail.resa.net>
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 08:57:43 -0400
First, I have to say that "Mr. Schramm's way" is the manufacturer's way.
I'm not smart enough to think this stuff up, and I sure don't have the
lab resources to research it.
I haven't seen any manufacturers materials advising not rehydrating.
Quite the contrary, if you look at the sites referenced below. If your
local homebrew guy has materials to support his conjecture, I would be
very interested in seeing them.
The principal of rehydration as I understand it is based on the concept
that water is needed to reconstitute the membranes in the cells to their
proper density and permeability (since that was what was removed when
they were dried out) before you put them in a solution of sugar water.
Then, when the yeast has returned to its normal state, it can be set
upon its task of reproducing and fermenting your must. Water
temperature appears very important. Lallemand says quite specifically 104F.
>From Emile Peynaud's "Knowing and Making Wine" p. 106: "The powder
should never be added directly to the must but the yeasts first
rehydrated by mixing in a little lukewarm water. Twenty or 30 minutes
later, the cells have recovered their vitality. They are then added to
the vintage or the must."
In her text, Linda Bisson (UC Davis) recommends rehydration according to
the instructions on the packet.
For more info, see
http://consumer.lallemand.com/danstar-lalvin/winefaq.html
and
http://consumer.lallemand.com/danstar-lalvin/lalvinrehyd.html
Yours,
Ken
------------------------------
Subject: Re: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate?
From: rdadams@smart.net (Dick Adams)
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 13:26:35 -0400 (EDT)
"beekeepers" <beekeepers@insightbb.com> asked:
> I am an absolute beginner. I have just read Ken Schramm's
> "the compleat Meadmaker", and purchased Vintner's Best
> beginner's kit and several other things such as bottles,
> yeasts, etc.
We are all beginners. Some of us have more experience than
others. And a few of us have some good experiences. So we
are a Brotherhood of Beginners.
> Mr Schramm suggested rehydrating the yeast by adding it to
> 1/2 cup water, and letting it stand for 15 minutes (no longer).
> He then says to pitch it into the must, and then aerate well.
Yes, that is the standard procedure.
> My local brew shop guy said that yeast manufacturers are
> leaving that policy behind, in favor of aerating must
> first, and then sprinkling yeast on top of surface. He
> says Mr. Schramm's way kills yeast. What do ya'll think?
> Rehydrate or sprinkle? And either way, aerate before or after
> pitching the yeast?
There is a school of thought that rehydration is not necessary.
I have tried both ways and have not noted a difference. Please
note that when I want to feel safe or when I show my son how to
make mead, I rehydrate.
There are two methods of aeration: using an air stone and
stirring. I use one or the other depending on how I feel
at the moment and will leave the merits of each to those
who know more more than I do. But I fail to see how either
will kill the yeast
Yeast manufacturers do not send me their bulletins so I am
clueless as to yeast manufacturer policies regarding aeration.
But I have very positive experiences following Ken Schramm's
advice. So I pitch first and then aerate.
Dick
------------------------------
Subject: Rehyrdate yeast
From: Leo Vitt <leo_vitt@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 20:37:32 -0700 (PDT)
In response to the question about re-hydating.
I rehydrate yeast - if it's not a liquid yeast. I go with water under
in the high 90's F and add yeast let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, I
airate the must. After the 5 minutes are up, I pitch the yeast.
Leo Vitt
Sidney, NE
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1206
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