SmackPack Question

I smacked my Wyeast Saison smack pack last night at 10pm thinking I would brew today. Plans have changed and brewing needs to be pushed to tomorrow morning. I would be pitching about 38-40 hours after I smacked the pack.

Is this ok? Where should I store it in the meantime? Somewhere cool out of the sun I would think.

Just put it off to the side at room temp.

David

I'd put it in the fridge and take it out to warm up when you start your boil. I wouldn't leave yeast in a smack pack that long at room temp.

I remember one time I got drunk and started playing with a smack pack(It was the first time I had bought one.) and broke it a couple days before I was going to brew.(Just the nutrient not the actual pack.)

I just stuck it in the fridge then took it out at the beginning of my brew day to let it come up to room temp. Worked fine for me. Fermentation started within 5hrs.



-Nick

I had a California Lager smack pack shipped this summer, with a cold pack in the packaging, but it still spent the weekend on a UPS dock in 90 degree weather. It was hot to the touch when I unpacked it. I called the Northern Brewer folks, who suggested I try it anyway before we deal with refunds. I smacked it and left it out for several days. It slowly swelled, but did swell after a few days (remember it only takes one live cell to become two, then four, then eight, then 16, etc). It was tense on Thursday, and I couldn't brew until Sunday. I did keep it in the fridge after it was well swollen. The beer came out just fine.

you could take a few minutes, make a starter and be sure that its fine at room temp

did you go with 3711? I just used that yeast on my last batch and have been mildly obsessed with the outstanding results.

ThreeDogs: Thats strange. This Wyeast packet shipped with another at the same time - a Cal Common - which turned out to be quite a dud. I ended up having to pitch a 2nd smackpack of the same. This was the reason I smacked this one 16 hours prior to when I thought I would pitch, to make sure it hadn't suffered the same fate. However, I would think the Saison yeast would tolerate the hot conditions of a UPS truck much better than the Cali Common - opposite ends of the ale yeast spectrum.

Mine came from Austin Homebrew Supply by the way, so they weren't on the same truck.

ThreeDogsNE said:

(remember it only takes one live cell to become two, then four, then eight, then 16, etc).

Click to expand...

Actually, the pack contains all the cells it ever will. When you smack it you don't create a reproductive environment, you just wake up the existing cells with the nutrient (dead cells). You'd be better off pitching it into a favorable sugar solution to promote cell reproduction than to wait several days for it to swell. That's why the pack says you can direct pitch without smacking.

I ended up putting it in the fridge for about 24 hours, then brought it out and left it at room temp to warm up for 4 hours before pitching. Pitched at 5pm, fermentation started sometime after 9pm. This morning it was rockin. Its 3724 by the way.

Did you add o2?

David