WLP300 Activation

Hi,

I just brewed my first hefeweizen yesterday using WLP300. It is also my first time using liquid yeast. I pitched at about 70F without activation - just followed the instructions on the vial.

I guess I should have read the forums before starting this batch as this seems to be a common experience. After about 18 hours there was nothing. Not even a single bubble. So, this morning I threw in about a quarter pack of some leftover dried Coopers yeast from my previous batch.

As of now it's bubbling along nicely and a thick krausen is forming.

My question - have I messed this up? Is the activity now related to the new yeast I just pitched, or is it possible that the dried yeast kick-started WLP300 into gear?

I don't want to lose any of the hefeweizen character I'm aiming for by having the new yeast eat up all the sugars. I have a feeling this will turn into a cautionary tale...

Any thoughts/guidance would be great!

Thanks,
Neil

You should be OK. I doubt that a quarter pack of dry yeast will dramatically change your beer. My guess is that much of the activity you are seeing is the WLP300.

As a rule of thumb, you should have made a starter. I've made a lot of really good beer just pitching the vial, but you do run the risk of underpitching.

Thanks for the reply. It's looking pretty good now, and I can catch some of the hefe aroma when I sniff at the airlock.

I'll certainly be using a starter from now on like I do with dry yeast.