Smack Pack and Starter Questions

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Snyder

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I bought a couple of kits from NB that contained the Wyeast smack packs. Of course the kit I planned on making next month, the yeast pack came swollen. The inner nutrient pack sloshes around, so I guess it's still intact. Never having experience with liquid yeast, my questions are:
1. I've read it's best to make a starter with that one to make sure. I only have the LME that came with the kit. Is it ok to use some of that instead of DME, and if so how much should I use.
2. I planned on make this kit in about a month or so. Since the pack is swollen, should I make is asap, or can I leave it in the fridge for a month?
Thanks in advance for the help.
 
How swollen is it? Pics would help.you might be able to sterlize a soda bottle then pour the pack in it and squeeze out the air and store it in the chill chest.
 
My feeling is that it'll be fine in the fridge, swollen or not. I mean, if you're making a starter a couple of days before brewing anyway, the yeast will have plenty of time to reproduce. The package being swollen won't harm the yeast at all. And, even though those packages get BIG- they won't explode or anything. Stick the yeast in the fridge until you're ready to make your starter.
 
i've left mine(smacked and blown up) in the fridge for over a week, let it return to room temp and not made a starter and it worked fine-a little slow, so i would def use a starter next time. if you plan on making the batch in a month, i would make the starter probably 4+ days before brewing just to give the yeast enough time to get moving.

as far as how much LME to use, i've never used liquid to make a starter but messing around on beer tools, if you used 6 oz of LME in a 1 qt starter that would give you a gravity of 1053. i usually shoot for 1040-1050 for a starter so i think that would work?
some one with more experience with LME can probably give you a better answer, hope that helps!
 
Not sure how swollen is normal, but it's about 2 inches tops. I found another thread that said 2/3c. of LME to 2c. of water. Is this the right ratio when I do my starter?
 
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