My dry yeast was "wet" inside the package - and now won't ferment.

I made a 10 gal batch of my Ed's Haus Pale. I used Notty, one sachet per 5 gal carboy.

One of the sachets of Notty felt "damp" when I played with it BEFORE opening it. Kind of squishy and not shakey, like there was moisture inside it. When I cut it open, the yeast seemed to be sticking to the walls of the sachet, kind of like it was highly statically charged. I've had this happen once before, but I got beer out of it in the end, so I pitched.

After 48 hours, here are the two carboys. The one with NO krausen, and no visual signs of fermentation, is the "wet yeast" carboy.



Anyone ever have this happen? I'm gonna wait a day to see if fermentation kicks off....but it's weird, eh?

Note, both yeasts were new, both bought the same day, same lot, same expiration date, and both definitely NOT from "old stock" that could have been part of the recall batches.

It sounds as though it may have been damaged in handling before you got it. I would repitch with something else asap.

Yeah, I agree.

Usually I'd say wait but it seems to me the risk of losing your batch is greater than the downsides of pitching again.

Ditto. Pitch now.

Thanks guys....I was planning on swinging by the store on the way home tomorrow and grabbing a pack of Notty, then pitching if nothing was happening by tomorrow evening...That's definitely in the plan now.

But has anyone else had "sticky yeast"? This is the second time I've gotten it....I liken it to the difference between fluffy rice and sticky sushi rice....

I had a similar experience. I made 10G of wort to two 5 G buckets, and inoculated one with Notty, and one with S-05. The S-05 took off like normal, and the Notty never did. Ended up with an infection in that bucket, and a sour mess I had to dump. Turned out my Notty was from the recalled lot (Lot #1081140118V), but was sold to me by my LBHS anyway. Don't remember it being damp though.

If dry yeast packets leak, the yeast will pull moisture out of the air. Just enough to die.