[denny]

Having both rehydrated and pitched directly onto the wort side by side many times I can't really say I have noticed a difference either way.

THIS^^^^

[pricepeeler]

We have noticeable "liftoff"!

@34 Hours.

[ynotbrusum]

Congrats - it is looking good now!

As to Dr. Cone, the most interesting aspect was the temperature issue.  I have been rehydrating dry yeast and for lagers, I let it get creamy at warm temperatures and then put it in the fridge to pitch it at 46-52F later on.  I was wondering about the effect on the yeast of doing that and it seems the optimal way to go on rehydrated lager yeast.

 

[tom]

Having both rehydrated and pitched directly onto the wort side by side many times I can't really say I have noticed a difference either way.

THIS^^^^

Do any triangle tests?

[majorvices]

Having both rehydrated and pitched directly onto the wort side by side many times I can't really say I have noticed a difference either way.

THIS^^^^

Do any triangle tests?

[Bones' voice mode on]Dammit Tom, I'm a Brewer not a Scientist!!![/Bones' voice mode off]

[tom]

And we're d@mned glad you are!

[pricepeeler]

BTW - Still looking good @ 108 hours in.

[beersk]

Good to know.  I pitched US-05 last night at 68F as I couldn't chill it down to fermentation temp (around 64F) with my tap water.  So, I had to let it fall down to pitching temp, which I wasn't a fan of doing.  Hoping it's okay, guess it's gonna be a learning experience.  But this morning this was still no activity.  Did notice the temperature change was sucking some of the sanitizer solution from the airlock into the fermenter though.  Argh.

[Hokerer]

Good to know.  I pitched US-05 last night at 68F as I couldn't chill it down to fermentation temp (around 64F) with my tap water.  So, I had to let it fall down to pitching temp, which I wasn't a fan of doing.  Hoping it's okay, guess it's gonna be a learning experience.  But this morning this was still no activity.  Did notice the temperature change was sucking some of the sanitizer solution from the airlock into the fermenter though.  Argh.

Are you saying you pitched at 68F and then let it fall to 64F?  If that's the case, you're fine as long as you can keep the temp from ramping back up (which active fermentation will cause to happen).

And on the airlock thing, that's exactly the reason you put sanitizer in the airlock.  No harm done.

[beersk]

Good to know.  I pitched US-05 last night at 68F as I couldn't chill it down to fermentation temp (around 64F) with my tap water.  So, I had to let it fall down to pitching temp, which I wasn't a fan of doing.  Hoping it's okay, guess it's gonna be a learning experience.  But this morning this was still no activity.  Did notice the temperature change was sucking some of the sanitizer solution from the airlock into the fermenter though.  Argh.

Are you saying you pitched at 68F and then let it fall to 64F?  If that's the case, you're fine as long as you can keep the temp from ramping back up (which active fermentation will cause to happen).

And on the airlock thing, that's exactly the reason you put sanitizer in the airlock.  No harm done.

I figured as much.  Thanks for your input.  I'm not used to NOT being able to chill the wort down to fermentation temps or lower.  So this is kind of a first.  My fermentation chamber is ranging from 58F or so to about 64F.  So I don't think it'll be too much of an issue.  
For those of you with Johnson controllers, what are your settings?  Mine are:
SP = 64F
diF = 2
aSD = 10

The others are zero, I think.  I seem to have about a 7 or 8 degree temp swing.

EDIT: I guess I should mention that this is my first beer with a the chest freezer and Johnson Controller.  The temperature probe is dangling in the air.

[pricepeeler]

Temp Prob calibrations
SD: 66 F
dif = 2
Not sure what aSD is, will look when I get home.
My temperature probe is dangling in the air too. 

Price

[pricepeeler]

How are you having such a temperature swing if your dif is set to two?
Mine stays off at 66 and as soon as 68 is reached, the compressor turns on.
Maybe I just did not understand what you meant.

Thanks,
Price

[beersk]

I'm not sure why I get the temp swings.  I guess that's why I'm asking.  Some have said it's better to put the probe in a jar of water and some say it's better to wrap in bubble wrap and dangle in the air, blah blah blah.  Just seein' what works for y'all.  
I just got my freezer yesterday and all set up, so I'm very new to this stuff.  Before I had a nice cool basement to ferment in that stayed around 60F or so all the time, so I didn't have to worry about this stuff.

The aSD is the cycle time, I think.  

[pricepeeler]

I don't think putting the temp probe in water vs dangling in the air vs attaching to the side of the carboy would make a difference in the way your swings are happening.

Sure my compressor would not turn on right when I opened the door if I had the probe in a jar of water.
We would get more accurate temp readings for the beer with the temp prob attached to the side of the carboy, but don't think it has anything to do with the large swings.

Right now I am just concerned about stable temp, so I just have the temp probe dangling.

Still don't know why you would be having the wild swings unless that aSD cycle time needs calibration, or:

Looking at your post, the dif should make the compressor turn on 2 degrees above your set temp.
Don't know how your temp is set at 64 with a 2 dif, but you said your high is 64 with a low of 58. 
Is the controller set on heat instead of cool? I have the same setting and mine turns on at 68.

hopefully someone with some experience will answer this.

Price

[beersk]

I think it's fine.  The temperature just varies from 58 to 64F, which I don't think will affect the beer at all.  The beer itself is likely to be somewhere in the temperature range plus a few degrees during active fermentation, I reckon.  I guess I'm not too worried about it.  We'll see how my first couple beers turn out.  Thanks for you input though, man.