i've been reading this thread and learning a lot. I have used both
techniques with mixed results. one thing I do know - the must must be
warm. I use a heating blanket on my kits that are in primary for 5-7
days, keeping the temperatur at 75, the top end of the range the kit
says (65-75) - and the yeast loves it. I just sit the bucket onthe
heating pad and have a floating thermometer in the must to determine if
i up or down the setting. It is amazing compared to room temperature of 68.
A question, if I go up to 80, would the yeast start dying from the heat?
hmm. I'm not experimenting but wonder. Any one know? Maybe it just would
bubble and turn to alcohol too fast. I don't know.
DAve


JEP62 wrote:
> pp wrote:
>
>>You don't need to rehydrate the yeast - for example, kit instructions
>>always say to just sprinkle on top. Yeast works better when properly
>>rehydrated but it's designed to work okay even if it's used dry.
>>Rehydration has some aded risks in that you have to watch the temp
>>difference between the rehydrated yeast and the must.
>>
>>Pp
>
>
> Actually, according to one yeast lab anyway, the shock of rehydrating
> in cold must is more harmful to the yeast than rehydrating in warm
> water and then introducing it to the cold must. The most critical stage
> is when the yeast cells are rehydrating.
>
> More of a nit than anything, because I too believe you can be
> successful just sprinkling the yeast on the must. There are so many
> cells in that package, even losng 25% during rehydration isn't going to
> cause much of a problem as long as proper nutrients are present.
>
> I'm even going to take it a step farther next year and intentionally
> under pitch at least a test batch.
>
> Andy
>