Wyeast American Ale Puffy upon Arrival

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

cigarmitch

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2011
Messages
48
Reaction score
1
I came home for lunch and found my shipment from northern brewer on the step! Of course I opened the Rye Extract kit right away to get the Wyeast into the fridge. When I opened the box the packet of yeast was already at full gas capacity like I had popped the packet inside. Is it okay to brew with in the next day? The ice pack that shipped with it was not cold, maybe Luke warm.

Thoughts?
 
It's been known to happen. Sometimes the inner pack breaks in transit. All it means is that you don't need to worry about waiting for it to inflate before pitching it into your starter.
 
You are planning to make a starter, right, because ESPECIALLY since the yeast arrived under questionable conditions, you want to insure viability by making a starter ahead?

;)
 
What about letting the yeast calm back down in the fridge and then using the pack as intended?
 
What about letting the yeast calm back down in the fridge and then using the pack as intended?

What do you mean by "calm back down?"

At this point if you put it in your fridge the yeast will go dormant and you'll have to start from scratch and will probably have a lag. Just make a starter and then brew as normal.

All that happened is that, was the inner nutrient pack more than likely did get popped, and they ate it and farted co2 like normal which expanded the pack.

It's not going to go down much when you chill it, the co2 already expanded it.
 
Yup. Make a starter right away. If you're a few days away from brewday, make a starter now and step it up a day or two before you brew.
 
I am working on one now, as I don't really have the fancy equipment for it, I will try my best with the tools I have at hand! Thanks fellas!
 
I am working on one now, as I don't really have the fancy equipment for it, I will try my best with the tools I have at hand! Thanks fellas!

You don't really need anything fancy to make a starter, just some sort of a container, some malt extract, a pan, water and the yeast you're going to pitch. Stirplates, pyrex flasks and bottled oxygen are fine and dandy and helpful but starters were made for decades without homebrewers using anything but what I mentioned above.
 
DONE AND DONE! Pretty quick and easy. Hopefully the boys will do some work and I can pitch late tomorrow night around 10pm EST. That will give me enough time to brew after work and still give them at least 24 hours to eat up some delicious rye ale!
 
This is a common issue with this strain especially. I received one the same way. Apparently it's not that the pack popped, there's something to this strain and CO2 buildup when shipped under temps where the yeast warms. Wyeast says:

"25. What are the causes of swollen packages? Can you sell them?

Swollen packages are almost always the cause of a small amount of sugar or CO2 being left in solution at the time of packaging. Upon shipment, CO2 can be released from solution or the yeast can consume the sugar and create a small amount of CO2. Cell autolysis, or cell death can also be a cause of swelling packaged. However, this is only in rare cases where the yeast is exposed to high temperature for an extended amount of time. If a package is swollen and has not been mishandled, it can be sold with confidence."

There's also one Homebrew online store that has a note about this strain and says it's common that they come inflated and that it's normal and they will not refund or exchange for it... I just can't remember which store it was.

Anyhow, don't worry about it, just use it.


Rev.
 
When I opened the yeast pack, the smack pack was still in tact. So I added it to the starter for good measure! So indeed it was just co2.
 
I've noticed all the wyeast package at multiple home brew stores being slightly inflated lately. Smack packs still intact and all. I figured wyeast changed how they packaged them.
 
I pitched the starter last night after 25 hours. The starter never started, I used 1/3 cup LME and 3 cups water from an example I saw elsewhere. Might have been too small of a starter, but as I write the yeast is working hard and belching gas through the airlock! Been doing it all day! So I am relaxing and having a home brew!
 
Sometime the starters go quickly. I use a stirplate with a flask and a foam stopper. There is rarely any krausen and no airlock to bubble. I can usually see co2 bubbles rising. Once it ran over night and in the morning there were no bubbles. I made and added some more wort and within an hour or so the bubbles were there.

Sounds like your starter did something so you are good to go.

And for future use: Sometimes fermentation will happen and the airlock will never bubble at all.
 
Back
Top