Pitch New Yeast?

This past Saturday I brewed a Midnight Marzen recipe using the Wyeast German Ale 1007. I just checked and still do not have any visible activity (it has been 50 hours). I am using a blow off tube, because I read that 1007 is a very vigorous, active yeast strain. The smack pack never swelled the way I thought it should (this was the first time I had used one). I tried activing it about 4 hours before pitching. When the yeast package was opened, one of the nutirent packages was still intact. It looked like another had burst, but perhaps this was just extra material and not a 2nd nutrient package. Could liquid yeast be this slow to start if the nutrient package was not broken correctly? My only other worry was when everything was shipped it was extremely hot outside. I was not home to pick up the package, but my wife said when she got it the ice pack had melted and everything was warm. The package did have to spend the night in the post office. I have a package of Safale 05 and was wondering if I should go ahead and pitch new yeast or hold off another day? Currently, the thermometer on the fermentor is reading 66 degrees. Normally, during active fermentation I am around 72. Heres a link to the recipe if that helps. http://brewersconnection.com/recipes/MidnightMarzale.htm

I'm assuming some of the yeast cells died in the heat but there's almost always some still alive. If you're going to use liquid yeast you should always make a starter. It's the only way of determining if your yeast is viable (it usually is )

You'll be fine to leave it alone but the extra work they have to do to reproduce to appropriate concentrations might add some off-flavors into a style that you want to be quite clean. Go ahead and pitch the S-05 if it really concerns you or just leave it alone. If it hasn't started by hour 72 then report back. And remember: airlock bubbling is not a proper indication of fermentation. At the 72 hour mark if there isn't visible krausen (foam on top) then take a hydrometer reading. If the gravity is lower than your Original Gravity then you have active fermentation! Relax and have a beer!

I was under the impression that wyeast packs only had the one nutrient packet in them? At least that's been the case the four times I've used them.

Weird that the recipe doesn't specify the OG.

Thanks! This is the first time I have used liquid yeast (only my fourth brew). I have read about making starters but thought (wrongly) with the smack pack I would be ok.

I'm not sure it had two nutrient packs in it. There was another "package" connected to the nutrient pack. It is very possible it was just extra material. I thought the same about the OG. I did take a reading and it was 1.052

I've been trying to be patient but I'm about to run out of beer!

HA fair enough concern!

Again, you'll likely be fine either way. You have two choices:

1) Pitch the new yeast, breathe a sigh of relief, then relax and have a beer.

2) Get some practice in the unbelievable amount of patience you'll learn to have when it comes to beer. I constantly checked my first batch of beer... I even sent a video to my girlfriend when the airlock started going crazy. But after a few years of learning patience and trusting the yeast I enjoy the hobby even more now.


Just a couple things to consider. Good luck and brew on!

Wyeast packs have one nutrient pouch, but it's divided into 2 parts. I ran into this problem with 2 packs I bought. 3 hrs is a minimum needed to ensure viability, but it can take more time to swell. The first time it happened I tossed the package and the second time I let it have the time to swell, which took almost 2 days. If it were up to me I'd just repitch with S-05. I have no patience to give any bit of yeast another week to build up.

+1 to S-05. I've not had good luck with smacking those packs.

give it another 24 hours...before adding the 05.

You may have a bad seal around the rim if it's a bucket. Like others have said, you can check the gravity and see if it is dropping. If it's fermenting, you'll have foamy bubbles on the surface. I would check both, and if you confirm you have no activity, I would pitch the US-05.

Thanks for the input everyone. I decided to go ahead and pitch the Safale 05. Took a gravity reading and it had not changed. No signs of fermentation in the bucket as well.

SMc0724 said:

+1 to S-05. I've not had good luck with smacking those packs.

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Smacking the nutrient packs is not necessary for viable yeast...its just a "fun little trick" to swell the pack so you know they are viable.

Definitely looks like no activity, I am having the same problem but I have foam and krausen on the top, not a lot but enough to think something is going on. There just hasn't been any off gassing in two days. I am guessing I have a leak somewhere. Good luck with yours

From the looks of it I'm glad you re-pitched. Even if it was slow there should be some sign.

Keep us posted!

It does look like you had no fermentation starting.

I have never gotten any Wyeast with 2 or even divided nutrient pouches. I have always made starters and never a failure.

Last summer when I started I used dry yeast for my first few. I then did some with Wyeast and had no problems with them. I may have been lucky having cool weather when mine were shipped.?.?

This year I have dry yeast by shipping and liquid from my LHBS.

If you have a Wyeast pack where the inner pouch does not break it would be the same as if you used a vial of White Labs yeast. The nutrient just gives the yeast a little feeding to give them a head start.

Getting 2 bubbles per second. We are rockin now!

Time to kick back and relax!

Good lesson learned though to always have some S-05 on hand. It comes through in a pinch and is a great yeast in its own right.

...and you didn't have to learn it the hard way because you will soon have beer on hand.

broadbill said:

Smacking the nutrient packs is not necessary for viable yeast.

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I'm talking about the whole f-ing pack. First two brews: followed directions, smacked, failed to swell. Opened it up with scissors, pack not open. Poured into a sterile container and let it set. Pitched and fermented fine. Third time, hit it too hard, blew yeast all over the kitchen. Frak those yeast packs, not worth the effort.

SMc0724 said:

I'm talking about the whole f-ing pack. First two brews: followed directions, smacked, failed to swell. Opened it up with scissors, pack not open. Poured into a sterile container and let it set. Pitched and fermented fine. Third time, hit it too hard, blew yeast all over the kitchen. Frak those yeast packs, not worth the effort.

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eh, IMHO the only reason wyeast and white labs exists is to supply me with yeast for which there is not a reasonable approximation in dry yeast.

So, sometimes, it's a reasonable product to use, but provides at best 1/5th as many viable cells as an 11g pack of dry yeast - so starters are required. So the nutrient pack is just to see if the yeast is still alive.

This is why I would always make a starter from liquid yeast. I also like to ensure I'm pitching more than enough yeast. Starters are too cheap and easy to not do them.