How to smack a smack pack... This shouldn't be this hard...

Ok, so I'm having some difficulty here...

Anynbody have a surefire way to smack a Wyeast smack pack? I only had a few minutes on the weekend to smack a pack before I left for a full day, but I couldn't seem to get it done, so I had to put it back in the fridge and missed my brew day, damn it!!!!!

I tried just bursting it by hand, by stepping on it with my heal, but nothin seemed to work...

HELP!!!!!

Clean and sanitize a nice empty beer bottle. Cut pack open and pour contents into the bottle. Put a balloon over the bottle lip. Wait a day, voila, pitch.


loop

loopmd said:

Clean and sanitize a nice empty beer bottle. Cut pack open and pour contents into the bottle. Put a balloon over the bottle lip. Wait a day, voila, pitch.


loop

Click to expand...

Yeah, well, I guess that'll work too... But the whole point of these packs is supposed to be so you don't have to do this... any other suggestions?

My experience with them has been about like yours, thus the other suggestion. It will get you by with the one you have now and then never buy another one again.

I've never had a problem (knock on wood). I hold it in one hand and feel around for the inner pouch. Once found, I try to cup my hand just a little so that the pouch fits in it. Then I hit it as hard as I can with my other hand. Usually this works. Not very scientific and Im sure I'll have problems eventually. Probably should do what loopmd suggests, but Im too damn lazy

Driftwood said:

Ok, so I'm having some difficulty here...

Anynbody have a surefire way to smack a Wyeast smack pack? I only had a few minutes on the weekend to smack a pack before I left for a full day, but I couldn't seem to get it done, so I had to put it back in the fridge and missed my brew day, damn it!!!!!

I tried just bursting it by hand, by stepping on it with my heal, but nothin seemed to work...

HELP!!!!!

Click to expand...

I've never used anything but Wyeast smack packs and only once did I have a problem. I usually just hold it in one hand, flat in my palm, then use my other hand and smack it as hard as I can.

I did this once by laying the pack on a counter and smacking it with my palm, and ended up with a small amount of it on the counter, as both the inner and outer pack ruptured. The hardness of the counter was obviously much more than that of my hand. I've never tried that again; now I always just use two hands and never have any problems.

Hey wait, I just noticed .... What is this ..2 Keg system in the mail!!
What's up Bro! You haven't told us about this.

First time I used one, I laid it out on the counter pushed the bubble into one corner and then pressed on it with my other hand till it popped. MPW

I've had problems the last 4 times with smack packs. I say screw it and just do a starter, or better yet, harvest your own yeast.

I can't ever seem to find the little pouch, so I just lay it on the counter and beat it 3-4 times. I've never ruptured the outer pouch, but I don't hit it full force, and it's always activated for me (knock on wood).

I'm glad my HBS stocks white labs... My procedure? Unscrew vial

It always takes 4-5 minutes of working with it and applying pressure to the inner pouch to get it to burst for me. Usually, everything works fine. Even the time that I missed the pouch, the yeast activated and showed airlock bubbles within 24 hours...

EXCEPT THE LAST BATCH. I burst the inner pouch, the pack swelled up moderately, but never fully, and to be honest, the yeast just hasn't acted right. (even with a 1 qt. starter) I don't blame Wyeast though... God only knows what the yeast went through in shipping.

i second beegees' smack pack smackdown...never had a prob that way

desertBrew said:

I'm glad my HBS stocks white labs... My procedure? Unscrew vial

Click to expand...

Thanks, bastard... But from what everyone else has been saying, maybe if I wasn't so rushed when I tried, I'd have smacked it. Guess I'll try again mid week and make a starter for the weekend. Thanks, guys...

Sudster said:

Hey wait, I just noticed .... What is this ..2 Keg system in the mail!!
What's up Bro! You haven't told us about this.

Click to expand...

Are you kidding, you think I could have contained myself? I'd been looking for a couple weeks, and finally went with a guy selling systems through ebay on friday. Seemed like a good deal compared to everything else I'd seen, even with shipping... Hopefully, the customs fees won't be ridiculous...

Here's the thread I started when I ordered it, there's a link there with pics...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1985

The only downside is that they only ship international orders by USpost and only on fridays cuz its gotta be taken to the post office... So its gonna be who knows how many weeks before I get it... My batch in secondary has already been there 3 weeks, think it could wait another 2 or 3 for the kegs?

I think I'm just going to bottle it, but this will be the last (full) batch to be bottled!! Hee hee... so excited!!!!