Do you rehydrate US-56 or jsut pitch?

[Sherlock]

I used it for the 1st time last Saturday in an Extra Pale Ale. I kinda followed the rehydration instructions(didn't use stir plate), do you guys do this or just pitch it?

"Re-hydrate the dry yeast into yeast cream in a stirred vessel prior to pitching. Sprinkle the dry yeast in 10 times its own weight of sterile water or wort at 27C ± 3C. Once the expected weight of dry yeast is reconstituted into cream by this method (this takes about 15 to 30 minutes), maintain a gentle stirring for another 30 minutes. Then pitch the resultant cream into the fermentation vessel."

[seanhagerty]

I know the evil of dry pitching and should rehydrate, but I am just LAZY on this item.

Sean

[Bugeater]

I last rehydrated a dry yeast about 4 years ago. I mostly use liquid yeasts anymore, but have probably pitched dry yeast without rehydrating on at least 15 batches with no problems relating to the pitching. Theoretically , rehydrating is better, but in practice you are less likely to screw it up if you pitch it dry.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[josephus]

i just pitch it.
I only rehydrated once and I had a slow start and poor attenutation.
It may have been do to other factors but I have had success just pitching.

[jamilz]

In theory, you should always rehydrate. My understanding is when done right, you'll get about twice as much active/healthy yeast than if you pitch directly into the wort. The problem is the yeast when dehydrated can't control what crosses their membrane. Going directly into wort kills about half of them. Anyway, that is what I've been told by folks I trust on the subject. I've not measured it myself.

[JMUBrew]

They say that on there? I thought it said to just sprinkle it on the top of the wort. That's what I've always done. Almost always I have active fermentation in a couple hours.

[DannyW]

I like to sprinkle the stuff gently over the foam left from aeration. I let it sit there and don't stir, eventually it will slowly sink down into the wort as the bubbles pop.

I like to tell myself that the lighter moistness of the bubbles will more gently rehydrate the yeast than immediately submerging them. By the time they sink down to the surface of the liquid they should be already kinda damp and ready to go.

That's my story, anyway, and I'm sticking to it!

[jamilz]

It isn't the water that is the issue, but the high concentration of sugars that does them in.

I just find it odd that they tell the pro brewers to rehydrate, but for you and me it is just toss it in.