Adding Champagne yeast at bottling

[crashlann]

Im ready to bottle another Stone Ruination Clone. Tasted it yesterday when I moved it to the secondary and added last hops, it tastes great, and improved from my last batch when I let it ferment in the hi 70s from day one. My last Ruination clone, and Tripel did not carbonate very well. I think because the yeast was just wiped out by the end of fermentation. With this batch I had a lot of yeast (actually got 2 quarts of Ale Yeast from a local microbrew), which was very active for atleast 5 days. I maintained 69-72 degrees throughout fermentation, steadily increasing about 0.5F/day. The airlock has not been active for a couple days now, so Im thinking the yeast may be totally inactive?? Even after moving it to secondary I dont see any activity. Also moving it to the secondary=less yeast, less carbonation right? This should be around 7.5%ABV. Im considering adding champagne yeast for carbonation, but Im not sure how much to add? Do I need to do a starter? Im thinking not, because I just want carbonation, not further fermentation. LAstly, I still add DME for priming, right? Thanks for any feedback.

[Quin]

Take a gravity reading to make sure it's done. Champagne yeast will be fine. It will also ferment out any other other remaining fermentable sugars (so you want to make sure it's done.)

Table sugar is fine for carbonating and easier to consume for the yeast at this point. Properly rehydrated (100°F water, Go-ferm, etc.) you would only need about a gram of dry yeast. Might be better to use a half package.

[manwithbeers]

I have to disagree with Quin on rehydration technique.

I believe that products like Fermaid K, Yeast energizer and DAP will do more harm than good to rehydrating yeast. In fact I wouldn't add any such nutrients to wort until after the lag phase is done when using DRY YEAST. The Lalvin Website had this to say about their Fermaid K. "NOTE: DO NOT combine the Fermaid K with the rehydrated yeast slurry before inoculation." Lallemand's website states "NEVER USE NUTRIENTS CONTAINING AMMONIA SALTS SUCH AS DAP DURING YEAST REHYDRATION - THEY ARE TOXIC TO THE YEAST AT HIGH LEVELS!"

Lalvin or Lallemand (I think they are the same) has a product called GoFerm Protect that has the right types of nutrients for rehydrating yeast. I've seen it at B3 I believe. It is also important not to use distilled water for rehydration. 250 mg/l of hardness is optimum. I gave up on rehydrating a while ago because I believed I was getting poorer results doing it. Then I found out why. The mineral content of my tap water is very low. (30 mg/l) I need to use minerals to boost the water beforehand and I get a much better result.

If you don't have goFerm Protect just omit the nutrients. I rehydrate in a SS saucepan. I heat the water to boiling to sanitize the pot and water and then let it cool to 109 - 104F. The temperature is important. Rehydrating in cooler water (below 90 F) will not have any benefit to the yeast. Rehydrate a pack of dry yeast for 15 minutes (no longer), in 1/4 cup of water, do not stir it in just sprinkle it on the surface. During this wait the yeast will swell and foam up. Add 50 ml of wort or beer or what ever you are going to pitch the yeast into. Stir and let it stand another 10 minutes. Finally add another 100 ml of wort/etc. These steps are going to acclimate the yeast to the new temperature slowly and the sugars/alcohols it is going to be in which will improve the viability of the rehydrated yeast. After the last 5 minute hold go ahead a pitch it.

Using this technique I've had lag phases as short as 6 hours in a 1.080 must (Mead). That is awesome! I used to get 24 to 36 hour lag times just adding nutrients to the must/wort with the yeast.

Something I've recently changed to...

[Quin]

The above post is correct. I should have said Go-Ferm instead of Fermaid K.