Dried yeast lag time

Share your experiences of using brewing yeast.
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guypettigrew
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Dried yeast lag time

Post by guypettigrew » Sun Nov 22, 2020 9:35 pm

A friend very kindly gave me a Worcester Hop Shop all grain kit for Young's Special Bitter. It came with dried S-04 yeast.

Brewing went well on Saturday and the yeast packet was opened and the yeast sprinkled on the wort at about 4.00pm. This is the first time I've used dried yeast for more years than I can remember. Usually I use liquid yeast and make a starter up three days before brew day. But this time I thought I'd use the dried yeast. Much easier!

Nothing happened for 24 hours, so I was getting a bit worried. With liquid yeasts from a starter there's usually activity within a few hours.

Then suddenly, in the space of an hour or so, there was huge activity. Bubbles and yeast overflow through the blow off tube.

It's going like the clappers now.

Is the how dried yeast usually behaves?

Guy

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Brewedout
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Re: Dried yeast lag time

Post by Brewedout » Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:12 pm

Sounds about right to me. The airlock is always bubbling on the morning after brewing, this is about 18hrs. But the rate of bubbling increases after this point.
I rehydrate the dried yeast in cooled boiled water first before pitching (as per yeast manufacturer recommendations online, not what they say on the packet). Not sure if this makes a difference?

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Top Cat
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Re: Dried yeast lag time

Post by Top Cat » Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:34 pm

Yeh, agree with brewedout Guy.
I use S-04 and US-05 quite a lot, I also rehydrate which tends to help with the lag time. 24hrs does seem on the long side, as I get evidence that fermentation has started after about 9hrs and krausen after about 18hrs.
I suppose it also depends on the temperature you started it off at too.
You may also get a surge in activity after about 2-3 days.
The yeast you have used drops well.

guypettigrew
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Re: Dried yeast lag time

Post by guypettigrew » Mon Nov 23, 2020 10:09 am

Thanks both.

Perhaps I should have rehydrated, but I'd understood S-04 didn't need it. It was pitched at 18°C. A bit too cool, do you think?

Guy

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Hanglow
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Re: Dried yeast lag time

Post by Hanglow » Mon Nov 23, 2020 10:39 am

Yes they can take a while. I think they can be a bit sluggish to get going. I wouldn't pitch much higher than 18c, there's no need. If you rehydrate though, be sure to do so in 30c-35c water then attemperate it over the space of about 15 minutes by adding a bit of the cooled wort to it. Yeast like goes cool>warm but hates going warm>cool quickly, temperature shock is a thing.


3 of my last 4 brews were dry yeast

k-97 - 24 hours, 2 packets sprinkled
US05+Windsor -24 hours sprinkled
Verdant IPA - 12 hours one packet sprinkled
starter of OYL-042 - 6 hours max

eg: I think this was k97
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Trefoyl
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Re: Dried yeast lag time

Post by Trefoyl » Mon Nov 23, 2020 1:01 pm

I rehydrate as described above and within 24 hours it is very active. My experience lately is that S-04 is a steady fermenter but Nottingham takes off like a rocket!
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