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Pitching Yeast into Hot Wort

tighniamh

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Just wondering if anyone else pitches their yeast at higher then recommended temps? I do not own a wort chiller and chill my wort by putting it outside. Last night temps were around 9degs and my wort temp read 96 degrees after 4 hours outside. So I went ahead and pitched my Irish Ale (1084) yeast and it's happily bubbling away now. I have done this many times with success and wonder if anyone else does it? ;D
 
I just did it to Windsor yeast at 92deg and happily bubbling.
 
My understanding from what I've read about yeast is that, yes, you can do this, but it may result in flavors you do not care for.

If I remember correctly from Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation, yeast cells actually grow/multiply best at much higher temperatures than what brewers use. However, fermenting at these higher temperatures produce off-flavors that most people do not care to drink.

Therefore, most brewer's yeast is marked with an "optimal" temperature range where it will still grow and multiply well, but where it will not produce the unappealing flavors.

I'm sure others can give you a more definite answer to your question, but that's what I seem to recall from my studies.

Scott
 
I have to agree with Scott, the issue will not be killing the yeast but off flavors.  You should put a wort chiller at the top pf your wish list!  Lat night I went from a hard boil to 125 deg F in 3 minutes, 3-4 minutes later I was at 78F.  That fast of a drop leaves a lot of proteins behind and really makes for a clear finished product.
 
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