First time using Liquid Yeast - help!

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Billo355

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Up to this point I've used Dried Yeast. Now I'm using a recipe from William's Brewing and it came with a Liquid Yeast pouch. The instructions said to break the inner seal and allow the pouch to sit, at room temperature, for 1-7 (usually 2-3) days until it swells up - and then you must use it within 2 days.

I plan on brewing Sunday, so I broke the seal today. A few hours later - the pouch has swollen already. Am I in danger of losing my yeast before Sunday? Should I have waited? Should I refrigerate it now? Or just leave it until the weekend?

Thanks!
 
Leave it out, but there is a small chance of it bursting, so you should put it on a plate. If you stuck it in the fridge, you'd shock the yeast & have a slow starting fermentation.
 
I had the exact same situation happen to me on my last batch, I ended up making a 1.5 liter starter when I got too paranoid about pouch bursting. When I eventually pitched the starter into my wort I ended up getting good fermentation within about 4-5 hours
 
I don't know where I read this, but I heard that you smack it one day for each month old the package is. For a 3 month old pack, you smack it 3 days earlier than you pitch. This worked for 6 month old package I had; smacked it 1 week early and by the time I brewed it was fully swelled. For a new pack, I'd smack it in the morning(unless you'd sooner smack it the night before :))
 
Billo355 said:
The instructions said to break the inner seal and allow the pouch to sit, at room temperature, for 1-7 (usually 2-3) days until it swells up - and then you must use it within 2 days.

Strange instructions. I just burst the inner seal the morning when I'm going to brew and the yeast is ready when I'm ready to pitch that afternoon. Never had a problem. If you break the seal too early (releasing the yeast nutrients), you run the risk of them using up all the nutrients and then going dorment again. 7 days is crazy. 7 hours is more like it at room temperture with unexpired yeast. I've also forgetten to smack the pack before I was ready to pitch (doh!) and pitched when I started to see slight swelling 30 minutes later. Fermentation started as per usual. No problemo. I use Wyeast.
 
I used White Labs Vial yeast on my first batch. No starter. Just let it warm up for 3 hrs at room temp. Fermentation started in less than 24hrs.

I used Wyeast smack pack on my second batch. No starter. Just let it warm up for 3 hrs at room temp. Fermentation started in less than 24hrs.

I used Dry pack yeast on my third batch. No starter. Just dumped it into the wert and very gently stirred it up. Fermentation was going crazy in less than 24hrs.

smilie.shrug.gif
 
That's what I get for following instructions.

I'll just cross my fingers and brew a day early.

Thanks for the advice.
 
grnich said:
I don't know where I read this, but I heard that you smack it one day for each month old the package is. For a 3 month old pack, you smack it 3 days earlier than you pitch. This worked for 6 month old package I had; smacked it 1 week early and by the time I brewed it was fully swelled. For a new pack, I'd smack it in the morning(unless you'd sooner smack it the night before :))

Yeah--When I first started, my LHBS guy told me the same thing. My experience is that the packs swell quite a bit more quickly than that. I usually smack them the day before,or, if they're really fresh, the morning of, the day I expect ot pitch them (usually into a starter).
 
grnich said:
I don't know where I read this, but I heard that you smack it one day for each month old the package is. For a 3 month old pack, you smack it 3 days earlier than you pitch. This worked for 6 month old package I had; smacked it 1 week early and by the time I brewed it was fully swelled. For a new pack, I'd smack it in the morning(unless you'd sooner smack it the night before :))

This used to be on the Wyeast web site and in their printed literature. I believe that it is good advice and that following this would prevent a lot of panicky my-yeast-isn't-ready posts
 
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