Home Distiller

Hi Everyone,

My distilling season has just started last Sunday, I did 2 buckets full of Shady's Sugar Shine recipe, but this time I removed one step, which is something that I usually do, and that is before pitching the yeast I usually aerate the wash with a small oxygen stone with a small oxygen tank that I have, this time I skipped this step, but the thing is I use standart bread yeast with very good results especially around 86°F which bread yeast really likes, I should mention that the yeast has still 6 months to expire, but I purchased this yeast almost 1 year ago, and it stayed in a drawer I do not know if this is the right thing to do, but anyway, once I complete the wash I take back 500 ml of the was in a separate container and pitch the yeast, and it usually swells and reaches the top of that container in 15 minutes, when I do this, I usually start the wash around 79°F by adding some hot water, but this time since the water was really cold one of my washes started at 66.2°F and the second one I corrected and started at 79°F but I do not think that this is the problem, first even with the 79°F wash I take back 500 ml pitch the yeast, but first it took a long tine for the yeast to start and swell, but it was not like my previous times first it did not swell at the top and when I take it to my hand and shake a little bit, all those swollen parts disappeared and went back to its first initial liquid state, so I thought maybe my storage of that yeast is wrong, because ıt stayed in that drawer all the summer, still has 6 months to expire but do you reckon this could be the problem ? anyway the other thing I notice is that it took a long time to take off the fermentation, after 24 hours I checked the gravity with my hydrometer, it started at 1.070 and after 24 hours both buckets was down to 1.050, so could it be the 1 year old stored yeast or is it because I did not aerate the wash what do you think and recommend ? Thanks

I am attaching some images of my rehydrated yeast from a year ago. they used to be like this, but not this time.

I reckon the summer in the drawer is the problem.
Yeast keep for quite a while in the fridge.
If you still have activity, try starting it at 95*F(bakers yeast should be good up to about103*F) with some easily fermented sugars. With a little help it should multiply enough(if there is still activity).

I buy bakers yeast which has sat on store shelf for god knows how long. I never refrigerate or hydrate before pitching. It will be fine.

Your readings already show its working, just let it do its thing.

I buy bakers yeast which has sat on store shelf for god knows how long.

On the shelf it is usually vacuum packed.
That makes a big difference.

Geoff

Day 2 Gravity went down to 1.030 I think it is working

If the gravity has fallen so much it means that the yeast is ok, the initial temperature difference has influenced the behavior of yeast in the initial phase, but I see no problem if it is fermenting well.

I read that hydrating yeast in proper temp water was ideal prior to pitching and that hydrating yeast in wash, water with sugar and pitching directly into a wash kills off much yeast. Is this a myth or just overthinking things?

Salt Must Flow wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 6:10 pm I read that hydrating yeast in proper temp water was ideal prior to pitching and that hydrating yeast in wash, water with sugar and pitching directly into a wash kills off much yeast. Is this a myth or just overthinking things?

A myth, I think.
But taste the "water with sugar".
It should be only just sweet, not too much sugar.

Geoff

Day 3 - Gravity is 1.010 it is working I have a stripping run ahead this weekend.

Salt Must Flow wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 6:10 pm I read that hydrating yeast in proper temp water was ideal prior to pitching and that hydrating yeast in wash, water with sugar and pitching directly into a wash kills off much yeast. Is this a myth or just overthinking things?

While yeast re-hydrate the cell membranes don't control what comes into the cell very well. What they hydrate in matters or can matter. One of the beer yeast manufacturers says you don't need to re-hydrate the yeast but also says it only kills half the cells leaving plenty left for fermentation....Why would I kill half the cells if I'm using 2 packets to have a higher cell count? Having said that with experience and testing you can figure out when direct, dry pitching or different re-hydration procedures make a difference to your product with the yeast you use.

jward wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:19 am

Salt Must Flow wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 6:10 pm I read that hydrating yeast in proper temp water was ideal prior to pitching and that hydrating yeast in wash, water with sugar and pitching directly into a wash kills off much yeast. Is this a myth or just overthinking things?

While yeast re-hydrate the cell membranes don't control what comes into the cell very well. What they hydrate in matters or can matter. One of the beer yeast manufacturers says you don't need to re-hydrate the yeast but also says it only kills half the cells leaving plenty left for fermentation....Why would I kill half the cells if I'm using 2 packets to have a higher cell count? Having said that with experience and testing you can figure out when direct, dry pitching or different re-hydration procedures make a difference to your product with the yeast you use.

That is precisely what I've heard too (kills off approx half the yeast), but you can't always believe what you see on the internet. To me it makes perfect sense. After hydrating, I typically pitch the yeast and the airlock is bubbling in a matter of hours.

Follow the manufacturer's directions in general .. but from my experience the best procedure is rehydration in sterile water at a temperature in the higher range for that yeast, then you can add wort to create a "starter".

I never bother to rehydrate.......yeast is cheap and I can't remember ever having a wash fail to fire up.
Often they are starting to work within an hour.

If I'm using a more expensive yeast I'll baby it and rehydrate with rehydration nutrients (i think it's called go-ferm protect or similar) then start step feeding it some mash (or whatever I'm going to ferment) over a day or so - maybe two days.. Adding mash/wort/ or whatever to step the sugars up and bump the yeast colony. Essentially starting a small ferment over 24-48h then pitching that into the larger fermenter.. For whiskey or rum based using bread yeast I might do similar but generally worry less about it and dump the jar in the fermenter...

I purchase an assortment of yeast packets from time to time just for diversity and keep them in a couple ziplocks in the fridge. Sometimes for a couple years without issue. Freezer would probably work for longer if it's dehydrated yeast.

Cheers!
-j

Hi,

I have tried it all, and all I can say is that, after making the wash I take back 500 ml (17 oz) from the wash pitch the yeast and you see the result in the pictures, what this does is, basically it prepares the yeast for the big environment and during this time, it multiplies and increase in numbers, which gives you a head start, I just use basic baker's yeast, I usually ferment at 86°F.