A couple of qestions on smack packs

[travlinScott]

Hi guys, I read a lot about the smack packs on the Wyeast site, but thought I'd ask you guys a couple questions to see what is happening in the real world...

How far in advance of pitching do you guys start the pack by breaking the bubble?

Do you generally let it warm up before starting it or do you just pull it out of the fridge and smack it?

Any tips for making sure it's good to go that you might have learned form experience that you didn't get elsewhere?

Thanks in advance for input you might have.

 

[duboman]

It is usually recommended to make a starter with liquid yeast so here is my process:

Day 1 pull from fridge and smack and leave at room temp
Day 2 pack is swollen rock hard, make starter and pitch
Day 3 step up starter
Day 4 cold crash
Day 5 decant and pitch into wort

The smack pack is okay for beer up to 1.040 although a starter is still recommended to avoid under pitching your wort. Www.yeastcalc.com or mrmalty.com both have pitch rate calculators

 

[Gduck]

I let it get to room temp before I smack it. Once smacked I generally just leave it for 3-6 hours before I make a starter with it.

 

[atom]

i pull it from the fridge, smack it and make my starter once it has warmed and swelled (usually in 3 hours or so). i usually give it a shake 2-3 times while waiting for it to swell and get hard. (the smack pack i mean).

 

[DanaDana]

I do let mine warm when I use smack packs, then when its warm I smack it at the beginning of my brew morning.

 

[BigBlueDog]

I usually make a starter based on whatever a yeast pitching rate calculator (e.g., mrmalty.com) suggests. Take the Wyeast pack from the fridge, smack and leave at room temp while I prepare the starter. I don't bother waiting for the pack to swell entirely since I'm pitching into the starter.

That said, if I'm making a small batch (2.5 gallons) of a low to medium gravity ale, and the production date is within a couple of weeks, I typically don't bother with a starter and just follow Wyeast's directions on the pack.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I almost always make starters as well (unless doing a really small batch or really small beer). I typically pull it right out of the fridge and smack it, then let it sit at room temp. While it's swell, I shake it up every so often, and after it's been swelling for 2-3 hours I go ahead and make my starter and pitch. It's never swollen enough to be rock hard, but it's always pretty puffy by the time I pitch.

 

[oakbarn]

We use them all the time along with dry yeast. We add both sometimes. We like to use Wyeast 1098 and Nottingham Dry Yeast together. We make a starter if using just Wyeast although we have pitch with good results directly without a starter.

We smack right out of the store as I will normally brew in 24 hours. The pack will swell in the car ride home and be ready for a starter after I get that cooled down.

We have had inner pack fail to burst (no swelling) and in those cases, have poured the yeast in, opened the inner pack with sanitized scissors, and poured that in as well. We have never had a failure of the Wyeast to ferment.

1. Make a starter if you can. Stir Plates are A++++.
a. Starter Wort best about 1.038 (Do NOT exceed 1.040.
b. Do NOT use an airlock. Cover with foil or a "Dave Rag" (paper shop towel wetted with sanitizer).
c. Use a Stir Plate or Swish the starter every time you go by it.
d. Cold crash starter.
e. Take the starter out and let warn while you are brewing.
f. Decant "beer" off the yeast cake and add cooled wort to the vessel.
g. Swirl and Pitch.

Always sanitize everything. Vials, bottles, flasks, scissors, outside of yeast packs, hands. Anything that could come in contact with your wort (starter wort included).

 

[travlinScott]

Thanks a ton guys! This information is a big help to me.