Swollen Wyeast packs prior to smacking

Hi all,

I went to go activate my Wyeast Weihenstephan 3068 packs and they were a bit swollen prior to smacking. Instead of being the normal 1cm thick, they were 2cm thick.

The production date is December 2012, so they're 9 months old, but I bought them from the store myself and put them in the Fridge at 4°C since.

A bit of poking about on Wyeast's site and I find:

"Activator™ packages will sometimes swell slightly, or moderately during shipping or later while properly stored. This is not an indication of deterioration if the package is less than 6 months old and has been properly handled. This is result of trace amounts of nutrients, still available at the time packaging, causing small amount of culture activity and CO2 production. Some strains are more prone to this than others."

Now, both 3068 packs are a bit swollen, but the Bavarian Wheat (3068) packs aren't showing this behavior, and they're the same age.

So, is the pre-smack swelling and age of packs anything to worry about in your collective experiences ?

Thanks,
Awfers

I think you answered your own question with the quote from the wyeast site. 9 month old yeast isn't in very good shape no matter what the package looks like. Make a starter and what's left alive will take off, but don't expect top quality at this point.

As mentioned, viability of cells will be low, no where near 100B cells for sure! You will need a starter and may need at least 1-2 additional steps to build it up to proper pitch rate. If you have never done this you can refer to http://www.yeastcalc.com and it will tell you everything you need to know about the starter and how many steps to get what you need

Thanks guys. I will do a starter today.

Interesting note: After popping both of them on Monday evening, the Bavarian Wheat pack is only about 3cm thick now, where as the Weihenstephan pack is HUGE, almost bursting at the seams. I've covered it inside from tupperwear bowls in case it explodes before I can do the starter.

Cheers,
Awfers

I have a similar situation. The Wyeast smack pack I ordered from NorthernBrewer.com arrived last week already swollen, and I couldn't break the nutrient pack inside without popping the entire package. I made a yeast starter from the pack (my first time making a starter and using liquid yeast, but I followed the instructions very carefully) and it's currently in the refrigerator in preparation for brew day Saturday. I noticed no signs of fermentation in the starter, but I've read there often won't be visible signs of activity. Hopefully it will work as it should.

matta2k said:

I have a similar situation. The Wyeast smack pack I ordered from NorthernBrewer.com arrived last week already swollen, and I couldn't break the nutrient pack inside without popping the entire package. I made a yeast starter from the pack (my first time making a starter and using liquid yeast, but I followed the instructions very carefully) and it's currently in the refrigerator in preparation for brew day Saturday. I noticed no signs of fermentation in the starter, but I've read there often won't be visible signs of activity. Hopefully it will work as it should.

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There should definitely be visible signs of fermentation in a starter. I'd contact retailer and tell them your yeast got cooked in the mail. If they don't send you a new one, find somewhere else to shop.

TNGabe said:

There should definitely be visible signs of fermentation in a starter. I'd contact retailer and tell them your yeast got cooked in the mail. If they don't send you a new one, find somewhere else to shop.

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Thanks for the input. I've contacted NorthernBrewer and we'll see what they say. I didn't think it was very smart of them to send yeast to Arizona where the temps are over a hundred, and not include an ice pack. I plan to brew tomorrow so I suppose I'll use the dry yeast I have on hand. So much for my first attempt at going liquid.

Did you take a gravity reading of the starter? Contrary to the above post, not all starters show a visible sign of anything. If the gravity dropped and there is a viable layer of yeast on the bottom after cold crashing then your starter is fine.

As per wyeast's website a swollen pack does not mean there is a defect in the package or viability of the yeast. Also, most retailers will ship yeast with a cold pack if you request it and pay extra, it is not standard procedure and Northern brewer is not responsible if you didn't request it.

duboman said:

Did you take a gravity reading of the starter? Contrary to the above post, not all starters show a visible sign of anything. If the gravity dropped and there is a viable layer of yeast on the bottom after cold crashing then your starter is fine.

As per wyeast's website a swollen pack does not mean there is a defect in the package or viability of the yeast. Also, most retailers will ship yeast with a cold pack if you request it and pay extra, it is not standard procedure and Northern brewer is not responsible if you didn't request it.

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First, it was MoreBeer.com not Northern Brewer. My mistake.

I did not take a gravity reading. There is a layer of yeast at the bottom of the starter.

If I pitch this yeast and the fermentation doesn't start after several days would it be harmful to try again with new yeast?

Thanks.

No, no harm at all, but the longer the time without fermentation the easier it is for an infection to take hold.

matta2k said:

I didn't think it was very smart of them to send yeast to Arizona where the temps are over a hundred, and not include an ice pack.

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I've never ordered from More Beer, but every company I have ordered yeast from online has has an 'add an ice pack' option. Maybe you overlooked it?

duboman said:

Did you take a gravity reading of the starter? Contrary to the above post, not all starters show a visible sign of anything. If the gravity dropped and there is a viable layer of yeast on the bottom after cold crashing then your starter is fine.

As per wyeast's website a swollen pack does not mean there is a defect in the package or viability of the yeast. Also, most retailers will ship yeast with a cold pack if you request it and pay extra, it is not standard procedure and Northern brewer is not responsible if you didn't request it.

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FAQ: Wyeast Labratories

22. If a retailer is shipping yeast, how should it be packaged?

All yeast shipments should be packed with enough ice to keep the yeast cool until it reaches it's destination. Remember this is a living organism that will be damaged by extended or repeated periods of warm temperatures.

Maybe it should be standard procedure since this is how Wyeast Laboratories says it should be shipped. I think Biobrewer has the right idea.

I have two packages of Wyeast, 1056 american ale dated 11-07-2012 and 1469 w yorkshire dated 10-18-2012. The 1056 is swollen, the 1469 looks normal. Should I just toss these and buy new since they are so old?

jhatt said:

FAQ: Wyeast Labratories 22. If a retailer is shipping yeast, how should it be packaged? All yeast shipments should be packed with enough ice to keep the yeast cool until it reaches it's destination. Remember this is a living organism that will be damaged by extended or repeated periods of warm temperatures. Maybe it should be standard procedure since this is how Wyeast Laboratories says it should be shipped. I think Biobrewer has the right idea. I have two packages of Wyeast, 1056 american ale dated 11-07-2012 and 1469 w yorkshire dated 10-18-2012. The 1056 is swollen, the 1469 looks normal. Should I just toss these and buy new since they are so old?

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I'm aware of the recommended practice but as stated, most retailers don't ship ice packs unless requested....

I would toss and get new packs as the viability on those is super low and would would require many steps to get to pitch rate. You'd spend almost the same amount in DME making starters as a new pack

matta2k said:

I have a similar situation. The Wyeast smack pack I ordered from NorthernBrewer.com arrived last week already swollen, and I couldn't break the nutrient pack inside without popping the entire package. I made a yeast starter from the pack (my first time making a starter and using liquid yeast, but I followed the instructions very carefully) and it's currently in the refrigerator in preparation for brew day Saturday. I noticed no signs of fermentation in the starter, but I've read there often won't be visible signs of activity. Hopefully it will work as it should.

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Should be fine. I've gotten partially swollen smack packs before. Last time from NB mine had an ice pack. Now I only buy from LHBS. That way I get to find the freshest yeast.

duboman said:

I'm aware of the recommended practice but as stated, most retailers don't ship ice packs unless requested....

I would toss and get new packs as the viability on those is super low and would would require many steps to get to pitch rate. You'd spend almost the same amount in DME making starters as a new pack

Click to expand...

Thanks, I think I'll be getting new yeast and be done with it.

jhatt said:

FAQ: Wyeast Labratories

22. If a retailer is shipping yeast, how should it be packaged?

All yeast shipments should be packed with enough ice to keep the yeast cool until it reaches it's destination. Remember this is a living organism that will be damaged by extended or repeated periods of warm temperatures.

Maybe it should be standard procedure since this is how Wyeast Laboratories says it should be shipped. I think Biobrewer has the right idea.

I have two packages of Wyeast, 1056 american ale dated 11-07-2012 and 1469 w yorkshire dated 10-18-2012. The 1056 is swollen, the 1469 looks normal. Should I just toss these and buy new since they are so old?

Click to expand...

I have to be honest, even though I will be adding ice packs to all of my yeast shipments for the company I am starting, keeping the yeast at refrigerated temperatures throughout the entire packaging and shipping process (up to 3 days for my shipping method) is a tall order without an insulated shipping container.

I actually looked into insulated shipping containers, but the cost of the box and shipping was oppressively high, and would have been a huge detractor. I think the goal of the ice is to keep it as cold as possible for as long as possible. Contrary to what some seem to think, your yeast will not completely die or even experience major cell death if it gets to room temperature for a day or so. You may lose some viability, but all around it should still be in pretty good shape. Most people make a starter anyways, so the proverbial proof of your yeast will be in the pudding.

As for the swollen Wyeast pack, I would absolutely *not* toss that. I have a good buddy at Brewmaster here in San Leandro, and he says they get those all of the time. They usually have to discount them because so many home brewers are too scared to use them, when in reality, they are perfectly fine. Typically, all that means is a little bit of nutrient (perhaps from a leaky nutrient pack that you break or perhaps from packaging) leaked into the main pouch of yeast. Really not a big deal. If the dating is still good, you're wasting money throwing it away.

Cheers!

I have two packages of Wyeast, 1056 american ale dated 11-07-2012 and 1469 w yorkshire dated 10-18-2012. The 1056 is swollen, the 1469 looks normal. Should I just toss these and buy new since they are so old?[/QUOTE]

*Update* I went ahead and made a yeast starter and used the yeast dated almost a year ago and it appears it worked fine. I just racked into the secondary and the hydrometer indicated 1.014 which is right about where the recipe said it would be and it tasted good. BTW, the whole kit was a Christmas present from my wife last year. I just got around to brewing because it was all grain and I'd only done mini mash kits. The grain was already crushed and the hops were vacuum sealed. Not as fresh as I would like but I thought I would give it a shot instead of tossing everything. Hopefully the end product turns out decent.