My spin on "Smack pack arrived smacked!"

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bbshopplf

bbshopplf

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So my kit arrived in the mail a few weeks ago. The Wyeast pack was separate from the other parts, and as I put it in the fridge I thought "man, it seems like this pack is already 50% inflated". Note this was my first smack pack.

I'm ready to brew this weekend and need to do a starter for this brew. As I go online and watch the Wyeast video, it occurs to me - "Dude, your smackpack is absolutely already inflated".

I'm looking at it now and it's still not 100% inflated, however I can't feel the nutrient packet (I can hear it, but there's too much air in the pack to feel it). I'm confident that if I smack it as demonstrated in the video, I will almost certainly pop the bag.

So, the pack is inflated, but has sat in my fridge for a few weeks.

What are the odds this yeast is viable?
 
You could still tear it open and get a starter started, just to see.

Have we mentioned that it's good to have some dry yeast in the fridge, just in case?
 
I just mean to say there's not a law that says that you HAVE to activate it inside the package. That's just, you know, highly advisable.
 
Just do your starter and add the nutrient to it. Or not. It is just yeast food. If you make the proper sized starter for the beer you are brewing it will be OK either way.

There is information on Wyeast's website about inflated smack packs. There they say that it is relatively common and usually of no consequence.
 
Wyeast states on their site that some inflation is ok/expected. I got one that was too puffed to smack properly so I used a starter and it was fine. The inner pack wasn't broken at all. Yeast are resilient little guys. Honestly with Wyeast and white labs products it is usually best to make a starter anyways to insure proper pitch rate.
 
I've had some issues with this in the past and here's my take. First, if it's really too inflated to feel the nutrient pack at all it's probably broken but possibly not. I've gotten some that were pretty inflated with intact nutrient pouches. Also, I once smacked one and couldn't brew for a while. It was one of the first times I used it so I freaked out and called Wyeast and they said to just throw it in the fridge and use whenever. Sooner is better but I think it will be all good once you throw it in a starter.
 
kaconga said:
Wyeast states on their site that some inflation is ok/expected. I got one that was too puffed to smack properly so I used a starter and it was fine. The inner pack wasn't broken at all. Yeast are resilient little guys. Honestly with Wyeast and white labs products it is usually best to make a starter anyways to insure proper pitch rate.
Click to expand...

tell me again what makes liquid yeast preferable to dry?
 
You list all the styles of dry yeast and I'll list some liquid ones. Go! Seriously nothing makes it preferable in all cases for everyone. This is not a dry v. liquid thread.
 
I am confused. I never meant to imply or say liquid was better than dry. In fact I have an emergency pack of dry yeast in the fridge right now. I have used dry and WLP and Wyeast all with good results, even when I underpitch.
 
One reason smackpacks swell on their own is that yeast are sick, depraved little cannibal bastards. After a little bit of mistreatment, living yeast will feast upon their fallen brethren. It's as good a sign as any that you should be making a starter.

As others have said, the nutrient pack doesn't actually do anything except demonstrate viability.
 
A couple of the Wyeast smack packs wind up partially inflated - if your kit came with the Pacman yeast, it's possible that it hasn't really inflated. Did you check to see if the nutrient pack is still intact or is it completely puffed out like a Fugu fish?

In either case, you should probably make a starter and if it turns out all right, you'll be fine. I'd probably error on the side of a huge starter and then determine from that how much was actually viable.
 
When i was a 1-gallon brewer i used dry yeast exclusively, because it just makes sense.

Now that I'm doing 5 gallon batches and branching out a bit, the obvious advantage of the wyeast and white labs products is the sheer variety you can get. I mean, is there a dry kolsch yeast at all?

I just balk at the prices because i am a cheap bastard.

Which is why i have taken to making slants of any liquid yeast i buy.

And yes, I figure that everyone should have at least a packet of S-05 and maybe packets of nottingham, wb-06, and champagne yeast in the fridge. Just in case.
 
This may not be ideal, but its worked for me. Twice, I've "fixed" a smack pack.

My first experience with Wyeast, I smacked too hard and blew a hole in the package. It was only my second brew, so I moderately freaked out but came up with what turned out to be a decent solution. I took my spray bottle of Star-San and sanitized the yeast package then took a piece of foil tape and resealed the pack. It inflated normally and made great beer.

Just this week, I had a pack arrive partially inflated. I just broke the seal to let out some air, sanitized, resealed with foil tape, smacked the pack to break the nutrient pack and it inflated as per usual. Currently fermenting my Dead Ringer IPA vigorously, less than 18 hours after pitching.
 
astebelton said:
Just this week, I had a pack arrive partially inflated. I just broke the seal to let out some air, sanitized, resealed with foil tape, smacked the pack to break the nutrient pack and it inflated as per usual. Currently fermenting my Dead Ringer IPA vigorously, less than 18 hours after pitching.
Click to expand...

Whoa whoa whoa... When you broke the seal, did liquid not come out? I guess I'm fuzzy about what's inside this thing. Does the yeast come dry, just like in a dry packet, but the little bag of nutrients has the liquid in it?

That doesn't seem right either though, because, as we're talking about in this thread, there's something unique about liquid yeast that makes it different from dry, allowing all the varieties.

Ok... So as I think about it, I guess there's -some- liquid in the main bag, but not enough so that you couldn't let air out without it spilling out. The nutrient bag could be full of liquid or not, regardless.

...

F it. I'm going to make a starter right now with these doods. :rockin:
 
I also received a "smacked" smack pack of pac man yeast (ten times fast?) in the mail today. I was already planning to make starter, but this thread went a long way to ease my mind that there wasn't some sort of yeast genocide going on while it was in transit.... So thank you!!!!
 
ShackNasty said:
I also received a "smacked" smack pack of pac man yeast (ten times fast?) in the mail today. I was already planning to make starter, but this thread went a long way to ease my mind that there wasn't some sort of yeast genocide going on while it was in transit.... So thank you!!!!
Click to expand...

My pack of pacman was also more fluffy than the two other packs of wyeast i have used (I am mostly a dry yeast guy) and plumped slower when smacked.

pacman yeast is all sold through a single online vendor that all other vendors (online or brick & mortar) must buy through, and one of the LHBS complains that they don't handle it very responsibly.

So, yes, make a starter.
 
I've had one come in partially inflated. Checked Wyeast web site, don't remember its wording but it was no big deal. I did not make a starter and the beer turned out fine
 
I have recently had Wyeast already smack and at full inflation. I freaked and pitched some Coppers I had on stand-by.

What it sounds like is that I should have made a starter first, then waited with the Coppers just in case.
 
To follow-up re: the original post...

So I -was- able to find the nutrient bag, and after some fumbling around finally pinned it down and squeezed it enough to pop it. That was about 6pm. I left the pack out at room temperature, in our basement (which is about 70 degrees) overnight.

I had travel plans the next day, so I woke early and made the yeast starter at about 7am. I use a flask and stir plate. The pack was huge and ready to go.

The next afternoon, I brewed an IPA (NB's Dead Ringer). I pitched at about 6pm (giving the starter just about 36 hours to do its thing - wish it were longer, but...)

That was Sunday. The past two days, the little buggers have been rabid in the fermenter, and today the krausen's already pretty much settled. Looks like everything's peachy. :mug:
 
I was unable to "smack" the nutrient pack as the entire pack was pretty puffy. I made my 1 liter started and pitched the yeast. After the bag had been cut open and yeast pitched I was able to break the nutrient pack, which I did, and pitched that into the starter as well. This was approx 12 hours ago, and the starter seems to be doing well.
 
TimpanogosSlim said:
My pack of pacman was also more fluffy than the two other packs of wyeast i have used (I am mostly a dry yeast guy) and plumped slower when smacked.

pacman yeast is all sold through a single online vendor that all other vendors (online or brick & mortar) must buy through, and one of the LHBS complains that they don't handle it very responsibly.

So, yes, make a starter.
Click to expand...

Wyeast has said stated many times that the Pacman strain tends to puff a little bit during shipping.
 

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