Viable approach to pitching into wort?

[Hjandersen]

Theoretical contemplation..
Assuming that 1 sachet of 11-11.g dry yeast is a proper pitch rate for a 5 gal batch and that pitching directly into wort kills 40-60% of the yeast cells is there anything detrimental to just sprinkling into a 2.5 gal batch?

And more importantly, if the above mentioned is correct would it be preferable to pitch into 86-95 F wort (since that should be an optimal rehydration temp) and then quickly (e.g. within an 0.5 - 1 hour) bringing the temp down to 65 F??

Could anyone elaborate one pro's and cons here?

 

[Cyclman]

I would think that the 40-60% is a pretty wide range, and don't know how predictable that range would be, so wouldn't want to rely on it. Rehydrating isn't too time consuming. Overpitching can make for a very fast fermentation and not so delicious beer.

There are differing opinions on pitching warm and cooling quickly. With lots of O2, it may work fine. But it may not- it could make the beer very estery, again, not good.

I don't see many "pros" of not hydrating, or of pitching warm either. It could make great beer, who knows, but why introduce unnecessary variables when there's little benefit to doing so.

Pushing the limits is how we are blessed with Bourbon Barrel Quads aged on black cherries and soured with Brett. That's not Reinheitsgebot. But I think there should be a benefit to trying something new, an upside, to make it worthwhile.

 

[boydster]

First, +1 to everything Cyclman said. Second, pitching warm and then quickly cooling is asking the yeast to undergo a cold shock very early on. You are talking about a 20°+ temperature swing in an hour, and the yeast can be sensitive to changes of 4-5°. Why shock them if you don't have to? They are making beer for you... Treat them right, and be rewarded with good beer.

 

[Hjandersen]

First, +1 to everything Cyclman said. Second, pitching warm and then quickly cooling is asking the yeast to undergo a cold shock very early on. You are talking about a 20°+ temperature swing in an hour, and the yeast can be sensitive to changes of 4-5°. Why shock them if you don't have to? They are making beer for you... Treat them right, and be rewarded with good beer.

I get the other arguments by Cyclman but this one doesn't make a lot of sense?

Assuming that you perform normal rehydration you'd put the yeast in 85-105 F water for approx. 20 min and then stir - after that you add cooler water or wort over the course of a few minutes until reaching the approx. temp of your wort..
That treatment should be significantly more shocking (osmosis aside) than simply dropping it in 95 F wort and then slowly (in an hour) lowering the temp to mid 60's?
I mean, both temperature extremes and the speed of temperature fluctuation would be greater using standard rehydration..