Yeast Issue (not Really)

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Willie3

Willie3

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Yesterday I finished brewing my ever so anticipated Belgian Dubbel. I have been working on this recipe for weeks, mainly because I did not have time to brew. So once again too much thought went into the batch but I think it came out OK.

It is actually more like a Belgian Singal (OG:1.048) but that is OK since I want to be able to quaff mass quantities during Christmas.

I had but one issue though. I used Wyeast Activator 3787 Trappist. I thought I broke the smakpak inside since it could not be felt. I woke up yesterday morning and found that the smakpak did not incubate.

I thought all well there is a little puffiness but not much I will just use yeast nutrients to boost the yeast into production. Finished brewing and dropped the temp to 73* in 15 minutes, airated the $#!^ out of it and went to pitch the yeast.

Upon further investigation I found that the small smakpak inside was infact deflated but most of the yeast culture was still inside (I was pretty disapointed and mad at Wyeast :mad: ) but I cut the small pak and I pitched anyway. I airated it even more for a long time and added yeast nutrient. As of today there is no activity but I have been here before.

Has anyone ever had this happen to them?:mug:

- WW
 
I don't think I'd ever pitch a smack pack without making a starter - I think they even have it in their directions. Not only would a starter boost your yeast numbers, you'd avoid little problems like this too.
 
Sounds eerily like my dubbel experience. Was using wyeast Belgian Abbey. Smacked it a few times...and the pressure from one of my smacks actually popped the outside bag. Sucked...but it was only a pinhole, and I only lost a couple drops of starter fluid. Anyway, it obviously couldn't puff up, but oh well. Pitched directly without a starter (that's the LAST time I'll ever do that!), and nothing happened.

It was 3 days, 3 freakin' days, until something happened. I was 10 minutes from re-pitching when I pulled the blanket back, and bam, they were goin' at it.

Give it 3 days if you can stand the wait. Even with a 3-day lag time, mine tasted like MAGIC when I racked to secondary. Maybe the best beer I've done so far. Delicious. Just be patient---as long as you sanitized everything, and the carboy's sealed up tight, I wouldn't worry about infections.

And, like I said, I've learned my lesson from that batch: always make a starter, even if wyeast says you don't have to.
 
RDWJ:

The big 125mL activator packs don't say to make a starter, they tell you to pitch directly to the wort from the pack. But, as I said, I learned the hard way that it's better safe than sorry.
 
I am patient with my bier and had a feeling it would be a while since I basically shocked the H311 out of those small critters. I have done both starters and just smakpaks, results vary but all in all great bier to be had. When I have a high gravity bier I do starters to ease their work, but on a batch of 1048 - starter really is not needed - if your technique is clean.

- WW
 
I want to know if it is an exception for the inner pack to not pop or is it more common?

- WW
 
Evan! said:
RDWJ:

The big 125mL activator packs don't say to make a starter, they tell you to pitch directly to the wort from the pack. But, as I said, I learned the hard way that it's better safe than sorry.
Click to expand...

And White Labs vials are supposed to be pitchable, but 99 percent of us don't trust them.
 
wilsonwj said:
I want to know if it is an exception for the inner pack to not pop or is it more common?

- WW
Click to expand...

It's common if you're not aggressive enough in your smacking technique. I was TOO aggressive, which is why I popped it.
 
God Emporer BillyBrew said:
And White Labs vials are supposed to be pitchable, but 99 percent of us don't trust them.
Click to expand...


I trust them fine. I make startes on heavy beers...the rest I usually pitch the vial or the saved yeast cake from the previous batch.

The longest fermentation that I have ever had was a 2 pint starter that worked for 48 hours and pitched into 5 gallons of Brown Ale. It had a serious ferment going for 10 days. I guess it was steady but never out of control? I can't explain it.

Every batch of beer is different in some way.
 
wilsonwj said:
Yesterday I finished brewing my ever so anticipated Belgian Dubbel. I have been working on this recipe for weeks, mainly because I did not have time to brew. So once again too much thought went into the batch but I think it came out OK.

It is actually more like a Belgian Singal (OG:1.048) but that is OK since I want to be able to quaff mass quantities during Christmas.

I had but one issue though. I used Wyeast Activator 3787 Trappist. I thought I broke the smakpak inside since it could not be felt. I woke up yesterday morning and found that the smakpak did not incubate.

I thought all well there is a little puffiness but not much I will just use yeast nutrients to boost the yeast into production. Finished brewing and dropped the temp to 73* in 15 minutes, airated the $#!^ out of it and went to pitch the yeast.

Upon further investigation I found that the small smakpak inside was infact deflated but most of the yeast culture was still inside (I was pretty disapointed and mad at Wyeast :mad: ) but I cut the small pak and I pitched anyway. I airated it even more for a long time and added yeast nutrient. As of today there is no activity but I have been here before.

Has anyone ever had this happen to them?:mug:

- WW
Click to expand...
FYI, the yeast culture is not inside the inner package. The inner plastic package contains the stuff that help the yeast grow. The actual culture is inside the foil pack, around the plastic inner package.

So even if the little pack didn't break, you still should have yeast that will work (if they are viable, but that's another topic) - it will just take that much longer for active fermentation to start.
 
wilsonwj said:
Yesterday I finished brewing my ever so anticipated Belgian Dubbel. I have been working on this recipe for weeks, mainly because I did not have time to brew. So once again too much thought went into the batch but I think it came out OK.

It is actually more like a Belgian Singal (OG:1.048) but that is OK since I want to be able to quaff mass quantities during Christmas.

I had but one issue though. I used Wyeast Activator 3787 Trappist. I thought I broke the smakpak inside since it could not be felt. I woke up yesterday morning and found that the smakpak did not incubate.

I thought all well there is a little puffiness but not much I will just use yeast nutrients to boost the yeast into production. Finished brewing and dropped the temp to 73* in 15 minutes, airated the $#!^ out of it and went to pitch the yeast.

Upon further investigation I found that the small smakpak inside was infact deflated but most of the yeast culture was still inside (I was pretty disapointed and mad at Wyeast :mad: ) but I cut the small pak and I pitched anyway. I airated it even more for a long time and added yeast nutrient. As of today there is no activity but I have been here before.

Has anyone ever had this happen to them?:mug:

- WW
Click to expand...
I had this happen to me last year on an IPA I brewed. It took about 36 hours for me to see much activity but it eventually did ferment well. The yeast just have to "wake up".
 
Well two days later and viola activity! Smells very in tune to what a dubbel should. Can't wait to rack it and taste the hydro. I am going to rack into a seconday for it to clear out for two weeks then into the keg to naturally carb for 5 weeks JIT for Christmas!!!

RDWHAHB!

- WW
 

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