So I am trying to brew today. I took my Wyeast 1214 Belgian Abbey smack pack out if the fridge. Fridge was at 38 degrees. Smacked it at 6 am. It is now 10 am and no change in the package. Mfg date is 9 Jan 13. Should be good but do you think it might be bad?
Yeast Smack Pack
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plumber_bob
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My understanding, and it worked well for me, is that you bring it to the proper temp before smacking it. And do it a day or two before pitching. That sucker should be swelled up to almost popping before you open and pitch.
pb
Epimetheus
Well-Known Member
Pitch tomorrow. 
Before you pitch it, shake the hell out of it. After I pitched mine, I cut the pouch open and found a whole lot of yeast that didnt make into the fermentor. I didnt want to scrape it in there for fear of contamination.
Just my .02
Just my .02
plumber_bob
Well-Known Member
Well I learned from reading on this site that you gotta bring it up to around 65-70 degrees, then smack it. Then wait for up to 2 days, maybe 3 for it to inflate. Then it's ready to pitch. I always acclimate the yeast and the wort together before pitching.
pb
plumber_bob
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biohaz7331
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What I do is just pull it out of the fridge and smack it then shake the heck out of it. After an hour or two when it starts tons well a little I start to make my yeast starter and after I have the starter cooled to pitching temps I dump the pouch in and put in on my stir plate. I only have had the pouch 100% swelled a couple times and as long as you make a starter it doesn't have to be totally swollen.
biohaz7331
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Most people don't recommend waiting to pitch the yeast for risk of infection and the like but if you were sanitary it should be no problem.
plumber_bob
Well-Known Member
You should be good to go then.
But wait for others to input just in case I'm wrong.
But I think you're golden.
pb
It isn't necessary to wait for full swelling, but you should let it come to room temp and let it sit for longer than 3 hours. 2 or 3 days is excessive... The smack pack is not creating a starter.
Smacking it cold isn't detrimental... Just takes a bit longer. I usually put mine in a warmer place, near a heating vent or something like that. You should definitely feel some amount of swelling before 8 hours.
Cheers,
-blake
Smacking it cold isn't detrimental... Just takes a bit longer. I usually put mine in a warmer place, near a heating vent or something like that. You should definitely feel some amount of swelling before 8 hours.
Cheers,
-blake
From Wyeast Website:
3. Does the package need to be fully swollen before pitching?
No, The package can be pitched before activating, or at anytime during the activation process. The activation process "jump starts" the culture's metabolism, minimizing the lag phase.
I have had plenty of packs over the years that don't always swell and I have never had any issues with fermentation. That being said, it is also highly recommended that you make a starter for any liquid strain of yeast being pitched into a wort in excess of 1.030
According to http://www.yeastcalc.com the viability of your pack is at 71% meaning roughly 71B cells are viable of the original 100B. I do not know the original gravity of the beer you are making but I will assume you will be under pitching your beer.
3. Does the package need to be fully swollen before pitching?
No, The package can be pitched before activating, or at anytime during the activation process. The activation process "jump starts" the culture's metabolism, minimizing the lag phase.
I have had plenty of packs over the years that don't always swell and I have never had any issues with fermentation. That being said, it is also highly recommended that you make a starter for any liquid strain of yeast being pitched into a wort in excess of 1.030
According to http://www.yeastcalc.com the viability of your pack is at 71% meaning roughly 71B cells are viable of the original 100B. I do not know the original gravity of the beer you are making but I will assume you will be under pitching your beer.
Wasn't sure if I should run the LHBS before it closes today. This is the first time using a smack pack an everything I read or watched never said anything about what temp to start at.
Thanks for all the advice. I will let it sit a while longer and see what happens.
Thanks for all the advice. I will let it sit a while longer and see what happens.
What is the starting gravity of your beer? IMO, since you do not have time to make a starter you should get another pack to pitch due to the under pitch, your beer will be happier for the extra yeast
Not a totally horrific under pitch, but I agree that two packs would probably be better than one.
midfielder5
Well-Known Member
You need two smack packs, or to have made a simple 1L starter a few days before with the one smack pack (or white labs vial).
Liquid yeast needs a starter for 5 gallons of beer where the OG is above 1.025-1.030 or so. look at mrmalty.com for the yeast pitch calculator.
Liquid yeast needs a starter for 5 gallons of beer where the OG is above 1.025-1.030 or so. look at mrmalty.com for the yeast pitch calculator.
Just noticed your yeast was 1214.... If youmdontnhave ferm temperature control, I would definitely recommend getting a second pack.
For a 5 gallon batch with this OG you need to pitch 182B cells and you currently have about 71B so I would pick up an additional pack of yeast preferably with a Feb. manufacture date and you should get pretty close to the proper pitch rate!
In the future, if you plan on using liquid strains either from Wyeast or White Labs, learn how to make starters and use the yeast calculator I referenced above to first ensure the viability of your yeast and also determine the proper pitching rate
That's odd that it doesn't tell you what temp to leave it at. I'm using 1762 Belg Abbey II, and under step 3 on the back of the package it says:
3. Allow the package to incubate and swell for 3 hours or more (it is not necessary for this package to fully swell before use) at 70-75F (21-24C).
In any case, I've had packs that only puff up a little. It usually takes more than 3 hours though.
biohaz7331
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So it is no bigger than when you pulled it out of the fridge? I had one time where I thought I had broken the smack pack but I hadn't and when I went to dump the yeast in I had to pop the pack and pour it in afterwards because I noticed it was still inside.
midfielder5
Well-Known Member
Well it is either dead or just fine. Most likely just fine. This is another reason to make a starter- to test viability.
As mentioned above: The inner pouch isn't a big deal, it just some nutrient that wakes up the yeast, their numbers do not grow.
You can also cool down some wort from your brew day, pitch the wyeast into that, let it work overnight, then in the morning pitch yeast (presuming you see some fermentation activity). That is a Real Wort Starter (RWS).
good luck.
As mentioned above: The inner pouch isn't a big deal, it just some nutrient that wakes up the yeast, their numbers do not grow.
You can also cool down some wort from your brew day, pitch the wyeast into that, let it work overnight, then in the morning pitch yeast (presuming you see some fermentation activity). That is a Real Wort Starter (RWS).
good luck.
