Lager Kit Confusion - yeast rehydration

[brewnut]

Hi All,

I'm confused by the instructions in a Telfords European Pilsner kit that I'd like to start tonight, so any speedy responses much appreciated!

The problem .....

Instruction 5. reads:

"Progressively sprinkle the dried yeast onto the wort and make sure the yeast covers all the surface of the wort available in order to avoid clumping. Leave for 30 minutes and then mix the wort throughly." (sic)

However, after the end of the instructions is the following caution:

"CAUTION

Failure to rehydrate yeast may result in poor fermentation."

Does this caution relate to the way I need to follow instruction 5 to the letter, or is this a completely useless set of instructions and I'm actually meant to rehydrate the yeast, e.g. in a cup, before adding ....

I lean more towards following instruction 5 to the letter, but thought some old hands on this board may have come across this type of contradictory instruction before, and could shed light on whether or not I'm meant to rehydrate the yeast BEFORE I add it to the wort!

May sound like a stupid question to many, but hey, I'm a newbie!!

Brewnut

[lockwood1956]

I think it's always better to follow the directions to the letter if you are unsure.
But yes failure to rehydrate the yeast properly is a problem, whether thats on the wort, in the wort or in a cup.

Sorry didn't get a reply in earlier....was out last night drinking.
hurrah!

regards
Bob

[brewnut]

Thanks To Bob!

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the speedy reply; I thought I was asking a little too much to find anyone as sad as me hoping to brew on a Easter Saturday night!!

I'll follow instruction 5 to the letter, and pray!

Thanks for all the help with the other brews BTW, truely appreciated!! I can't believe I'm having so much success with these first brews: I was fully expecting most of them to turn out as disasters.

Brewnut

[Daft as a Brush]

Don't worry, even dried yeast manufactures cant seem to decide on the best way to use their yeast.

What ever dired yeast I use, I always start by sprinkling it over a 1/3 of a cup of preboiled water, cooled to 30-35 deg c and letting it rehydrate before doing anything else. If after 20 mins it fails to rise up and instead all sinks to the bottom and does nothing I scrap it and start with a new one. If it springs to life I either feed it with wort to build up the cells or pitch it straight away and whisk in.

You'll be supprised how many kits out there have bad yeast attached to them, sometimes its just plain poor yeast others its because the kit has been on the shelf for a while (and in a warehouse even longer), even dried yeast has a shelf life, one manufacture at least recommends keeping their yeast in the fridge.