BeerBorg

I use mostly dry yeast and am curios if using a stir plate will help in the hydrating by gently stirring and keeping it in suspension.

From my yeast OCDness, I've read very often, you only hurt dry yeast by putting it on a stir plate. People do it but the yeast nerds say that's a definite no -no.
I've never tried it myself.

I thought about that. thanks for not letting me waste money on a stir plate

If you plan on using liquid yeast, a stir plate is a great investment. I use 90% liquid yeast and save a good deal of money making extra large starters that I save for future brews. 1-$7 pack of liquid yeast can get me 4-5 brews when I plan ahead.
But, you can start with a flask and simply shake it a few times a day and get a decent size starter.

I use dry yeast about 98% of the time. I use Fermentis, and never rehydrate, and have had good results. I pitch according to their directions, which is direct, above 68 (I get it between 68 and 70), let sit for 30 minutes, then beat the piss out of it with a hand held mixer with the whisk attachment.

Like you said Whamo, no need to spend the extra money on a stir plate and flask if you don't need it.

I have tried rehydrating and sprinkling. I never saw any difference so I don't waste my time rehydrating.

Whamolagan wrote:I use mostly dry yeast and am curios if using a stir plate will help in the hydrating by gently stirring and keeping it in suspension.

I don't think so and no need. I very seldom re-hydrate dry yeast except for Belle Saison and I've used it a number of times now and I do think now re-hydrating is better on this one. liquid yeast, I'm a believer on a starter and a stir plate, it works...............

I have made starters with dry yeast and have had really good fermentations and gets me closer to correct pitch rate than an underpitch. Will be making starter with S-05 for the the upcoming weekend brewday.

Beer-lord wrote:If you plan on using liquid yeast, a stir plate is a great investment. I use 90% liquid yeast and save a good deal of money making extra large starters that I save for future brews. 1-$7 pack of liquid yeast can get me 4-5 brews when I plan ahead.
But, you can start with a flask and simply shake it a few times a day and get a decent size starter.

What’s your process for that? Do you do step-ups from your original starter every time, or just warm it up and pitch it? I would assume it all depends on how long between brews?

FWIW, I’ve found my results don’t depend so much on whether I re-hydrate dry yeast, but on how much I oxygenate the wort before pitching. I oxygenate the bejeebers out of it with an O2 tank and stone and usually have good bubbling within a couple of hours.

Alb, basically, this is what I follow though not 100%.
Now there are some that say that making a starter at about 1.037 and then saving 500ml of it to make another starter of 1.037 isn't good for the yeast cell production but since I try to over pitch and I only do 3-4 generations, I've not run into it.
In fact, I can't tell the difference between a fresh starter and a 're-freshed' starter. The idea is that you are basically starting off clean each time. No hop funk or left over, washed yeast, althought that's worked just as well for me in the past but I just find this easier. Sure, you'd do better to have a huge flask so it's a few $$$ of investment but I have saved a good deal of money this way and friends have laughed at my yeast bank in my fridge.

Regarding making a starter using dry yeast, I'm sure there's lots of debate on this as well but I've found a number of places where people go into detail over my head about it hurting the cell structure and that the protection of the yeast by drying it is undone when a starter is made. I can't recall but I seem to remember John Palmer discussing this in his book but just don't recall exactly where he came down on this. I've stayed away from doing that so far.

I've never re-hyrated dry yeast as I've heard it was a no no. I just sprinkle on top and go.

I have only recently begun using a stir-plate for liquid yeast and let me tell you it makes a difference. I was getting a big lag before the yeast took off, sometimes 2 or 3 days. With a stir-plate and liquid yeast, it takes off almost instantly.

If I don't decant, I find things start faster but if I chill and decant, while still fast, it takes about twice as long to get things started. But, either way, things get started way before you see anything and that's what's important.
Plus, stir plates last forever. Those things just don't break.