I like smack packs but they suck

Earlier today before I brewed I smacked my yeast pack to activate it and it popped a little hole in the top of the pouch. After a few choice 4 letter words I said screw it and just put a couple pieces of scotch tape over the hole shook it up and set it in the window to get some sun. about 4-5 hours later she was ready to pitch and all swoll up. I really like Wyeast and have always had good results but those smack packs can go kick rocks! I have always been nervous smacking those and I guess it was just a matter of time before I finally spanked it a little to hard before it burst. Oh well, it still activated now hopefully no contamination. Any similiar stories?

AleHole said:

I guess it was just a matter of time before I finally spanked it a little to hard before it burst.

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Does this belong in the "punchlines" thread?

I've had them fail to expand when smacked. I use White Lab viaols and prefer them. I use a starter if I do anything above 8%

Walker-san said:

Does this belong in the "punchlines" thread?

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Ha...good stuff, definately good stuff. Thanks for pointing that out. Made me laugh for sure.:rockin:

I also love Wyeast but feel uncomfortable smacking the pack, sooooo what I do is open the pack and extract the yeast pack and put it in my 1L erlynmyer flask with 800 ml of DME wort, and put it on my stir plate. Doing this I always have very robust fermentation cycles. I ALWAYS make a starter to assure a fast and vigorous starts.

It isn't necessary to beat the **** out of them. I have a big Webster's dictionary that I put on the smackpacks. Just a little pressure and, pop! Once the pouch swells, it's time to make a starter.

I love the smack packs, but my biggest challenge is finding that little b@57ard activator inside. A smack here. A smack there. "Where the heck are ya!!"

To be sure of a steady hand, I smack my pack before that cold brew I crack. (That would be by pre-crack-pack-smack).

I only used one, but I turned it over and shook so the pack would end up in the corner and smacked it between my hands....worked great and it was expired by two months, pitched about 5-6 hours after activating, beer was ferminting healthily a few hours later...

I have used many without a hitch.

boo boo said:

I have used many without a hitch.

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yup...I just move the inner pack down to a corner and squeeze between my thumbs and forefingers till I feel it rupture.

brewt00l said:

yup...I just move the inner pack down to a corner and squeeze between my thumbs and forefingers till I feel it rupture.

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I used to do the same thing, and it definately works.

I just lay the pack flat in my palm and smack it really hard with a flat second hand and I get it everytime.




No need to search for any inner packet.

I agree with Spyk'd...I usually put it flat on the table and give it a nice slap then shake the s#!t out of it...never had problems.

I feel another "quote" coming on...

Spyk'd said:

No need to search for any inner packet.

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You just push it into the corner and pop it...only takes a few seconds and I pref it to smacking myself. Whatever works though.

I follow the pictures on the back and it works 100%, although sometimes too well.

AleHole said:

Earlier today before I brewed I smacked my yeast pack to activate it and it popped a little hole in the top of the pouch. After a few choice 4 letter words I said screw it and just put a couple pieces of scotch tape over the hole shook it up and set it in the window to get some sun. about 4-5 hours later she was ready to pitch and all swoll up. I really like Wyeast and have always had good results but those smack packs can go kick rocks! I have always been nervous smacking those and I guess it was just a matter of time before I finally spanked it a little to hard before it burst. Oh well, it still activated now hopefully no contamination. Any similiar stories?

Click to expand...

I used to worry...I'd smack it a bunch of times, very hard, squeeze it, ring it out, etc., just to make sure it popped. Then, one time, just like you, I smacked it so hard it popped a tiny hole in the bottom and leaked a few drops.

These days, though, I make sure to find the nutrient pak (it's not that difficult) and corral it in a corner of the outside packaging...then smack that corner pretty hard. This tactic has been 100% successful. I always check for the pak afterwards, but it's always ruptured.

See, in this case, it's not about how hard you smack it. It's about smacking it in the right place. And, yes, that is what she said.

woodstone said:

I usually put it flat on the table and give it a nice slap then shake the s#!t out of it...

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Oh, christ...what the hell else is there to say to that? I mean, really? You should write some adult novellas.

Shake, shake, shake that pak...show me what you're workin' with.

Shake it, shake it, shake it like a polaroid peeeyicture.

I usually use White Labs, but when I do use smack packs I don't smack them at all. I run them top-to-bottom over a hard corner of my countertop with even pressure along the edge until you know you have the little bugger quarantined at the end of the pack. I then force the internal "bubble" over the corner of the countertop, popping it. This always worked 100% - you can actually feel the pack resist, pop then squirt as it going over the countertop's corner.* the you just shake it and you're rollin.

* That is greally f-d up sounding too, but it really is how it goes!!!

I've used two white labs tubes - both took very long to start (just pitched the tubes with no starter). I've used about six wyeast smackers and they all did great.

I can't believe we've worked up 20 replies to a thread on wack-packs, with 90% of the replies having nothing to do with wack-packs. I need to print this out and get the wife to read it...maybe I'll be paid attention to this evening?!?!?!

Me, the happy banana...

Well despite the pin hole in my pouch my porter is bubbling away nicely in the fermenter.

I might catch s*** from some people for this (or maybe not).

I first used WYeast when I began to brew, but I switched to White Labs back when I first decided to make starters, as I thought the tubes woud be easier to use. But, since the yeast can stick to the tube, and once you shake it too much, they can spew when you open them. So they werent exactly "easier".

WYeast packs can be sterlized, opened and poured right into the flask, either smacked or not smacked. So, to me, I found I really didnt need to worry about anything when making a starter and using WYeast.

Both are great yeasts for sure.

still relatively noob, but I got a few brews under my belt at this point....

I'm used to the White Labs Vials and managed to over-smack the Wyeast pack this weekend while brewing a soon-to-be raspberry wheat ale.

Sanitized a small piece of plastic wrap and super-glued the hole shut... don't think I got any glue inside the bag. Found this thread and decided to use it anyway. Bag inflated nicely.

Didn't use a starter, but I hoping to see some fermentation action after work....

Glad I found this website! :fro:

Has anyone ever had the bag swell up just a little bit that's what happened to me this weekend.

Since there is all that internal pressure that causes the swelling, I don't see the problem with a tiny hole in the pack. As long as it isn't oozing out of the bag or a large hole, no need to plug it up. Pin holes will be no different than those holes at the top of your bubbler.
Relax, don't worry, drink a homebrew!

knipknup said:

Relax, don't worry, drink a homebrew!

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I couldn't have said it better myself! I'm still experiencing the "first-time jitters" a little bit since I've yet to try any of my "flying-solo" brews.

I may have to give ye'olde Fat Tire clone a taste soon to check the progression of the carbonation and aging...

I thought I'd post an update for posterity in case anyone else runs into the problem of over-smacking the smackpack and worries about consequences....

In summary, I smacked the **** out of the smack pack and busted the packing and spilled some yeast. Sanitized and super-glued the hole shut. The bag inflated by pitching time (a couple hours later). Fermentation was par for the course; started ~24 hours post pitch. Was vigorous and lasted ~10 days. Yesteday I bottled the raspberry wheat. Tasted good (but green). Might post when drinking, if I remember.....

In the end, I'm happy with Wyeast but next time I'll use a smackpack I'll do the "rub it on the corner of the counter" method.

All in all another case for RDWHAHB
:rockin:

Fiery Sword said:

resist, pop then squirt

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and this from the guy that only last week was saying a 'hot wet tail' was a bad thing...

Actually this thread popped up at the best possible time. I'm brewing this wknd and will be using a smack pack for the first time... previous batches have been dry yeast- with no problems at all... but I'm trying my first wheat beer and wasn't sure if any of the dry yeasts would be suitable - so ordered a liquid wheat yeast.

You know when I get it I'm gonna' spend twenty minutes staring at the thing trying to decide whether to roll, pinch, squeeze, smack or slap the crap outta' the blighter - and it's gonna' be all y'alls fault!

I have used many smackpacks and have exploded about 4 of them. 2 were little hole leaks like you describe but the other 2 were unusable as I covered my kitchen in 100 billion yeast cells. The trick I have discovered is to find the little inner packet with my fingers and squeeze that until I hear it pop. No more actually "smacking" the smack packs for me.