Pitching New Yeast Prior to Bottling

slushy1975 · 06-23-2006, 12:20 PM

I used one of the Wyeast smack packs that says "create a starter" a few days before brewing. Of course, I grabbed it off the shelf for brewing the same day.

It's bottling time and I'm wondering if I should be concerned about pitching new yeast to ensure my bottles carbonate. I'm not even sure if that is easily or effectively done. I recently used the same Wyeast smack pack to make a Hefe-weizen and some bottles aren't carbonated well while others gush out when you pop the cap.

Should new yeast be pitched for my latest batch or will there be enough yeast present in the wort that the addition of 1 1/4 of malt extract will prime the bottles nicely?

Fatabbot · 06-23-2006, 12:30 PM

Did you take OG/FG reading? If so, did the beer fully ferment?

If it fermented fine, I don't think you should worry about yeast. I bet your inconsistent carbonation on the other batch was a result of an uneven mix of your priming sugar. I stir the beer in the bottling bucket after at least every 12 pack I bottle (since my 2nd batch). First batch was inconsistent, but the subsequent ones have been fine.

**kornkob** · 06-23-2006, 12:35 PM

They Wyeast propogators have 25 million cells. If they manage to reporduce enough to fully ferment your beer, then there's plenty there for carbonation.