The whole point of the smack packs is that they are essentially a starter.
Not so. Even Wyeast doesn't make that claim!
From Wyeast:
Activator Package:
The Wyeast Activator (125 ml) smack-pack is designed to directly inoculate 5 gallons of standard ale wort (
O.G. < 1.060, 65-72°F). When brewing high gravity beer (O.G. >1.060) or cold fermented lagers or ales (<65 °F)) additional yeast will be required. An Activator contains approximately 100 billion cells which will deliver slightly less than 6 million cells per milliliter to a 5 gallon batch of beer. The quantity of yeast needed varies for style of beer and yeast strain to be used. Original gravity and temperature are both also major factors. When the original gravity increases, the amount of yeast added also needs to increase (see High Gravity Brewing for more information).
That comes from Wyeast, not from me. So, two packages may have been enough, but depending on the age of the package and the condition, it may have not been. A starter, even with two packages, may have been required.
Also from Wyeast: (shows that you need at least 12 million cells/ml for an OG of more than 1.060.)
Standard Pitching Rates:
STYLE
GRAVITY
PITCH RATE
(Million Cells/ml.)
Ale
<1.060 (15P°)
6 .00 million cells/ml
Ale
1.061-1.076 (15-19P°)
12.00 million cells/ml
Ale
>1.076 (19P°)
>18.00 million cells/ml
How Does Pitch Rate Affect My Beer?
Pitch rates make a dramatic difference in the final flavor and aroma profile of any beer. Ester production is directly related to yeast growth as are most other flavor and aroma compounds.
A low pitch rate can lead to:
Excess levels of diacetyl
Increase in higher/fusel alcohol formation
Increase in ester formation
Increase in volatile sulfur compounds
High terminal gravities
Stuck fermentations
Increased risk of infection
High pitch rates can lead to:
Very low ester production
Very fast fermentations
Thin or lacking body/mouthfeel
Autolysis (Yeasty flavors due to lysing of cells)
Never re-use yeast from a high gravity fermentation (greater than 1.065 original gravity).
Never re-use yeast from an irregular fermentation (long lag-time, long fermentation, poor clearing, high terminal gravity, etc.)
Never re-use yeast from a fermentation with off flavors and aromas (excess diacetyl, phenols, sulfur compounds, etc.)
Never re-use yeast if you are not confident in your sanitation and brewing practices.
Do not store yeast for long periods before re-use (longer than 2 weeks typically).
You also don't need an O2 stone, several books I have read basically say that the amount of O2 that gets dissolved still wouldn't be enough for optimal pitching rates, in fact optimal O2 is almost impossible to get in the home brew setting. The thing that I do (and it works brillinatly) go out and get a large sieve or strainer. Pour your wort through that, once or twice, you get a ton of foam and a lot of dissolved air.
You can easily get 8 ppm of O2 in a homebrew setting, just from shaking it for a long time, or even using an aquarium pump with a stone for 30 minutes. An 02 stone is much better than pouring, once or twice. To get an optimal amount, pouring like that would take much longer.
You can make beer with underpitching and underaerating, that's for sure. But no way would it be good practice, even if it does work for some brewers.
Again, from Wyeast:
How Much Oxygen?
Oxygen requirement is variable depending on: yeast strain employed, original gravity of wort, and wort trub levels.
Some yeast strains have higher oxygen requirements than others. It is generally safe to assume that you need at least 10ppm of oxygen. 10ppm will supply adequate oxygen in most situations. Over-oxygenation is generally not a concern as the yeast will use all available oxygen within 3 to 9 hours of pitching and oxygen will come out of solution during that time as well. Under-oxygenation is a much bigger concern.
High original gravity (>1.065) wort, in addition to increasing osmotic stress on yeast, can cause problems with achieving adequate levels of dissolved oxygen. As the gravity of wort increases, solubility of oxygen decreases. Increased temperatures also decrease the solubility of wort.
The unsaturated fatty acids found in wort trub can be utilized by yeast for membrane synthesis. If wort trub levels are low, yeast will need to synthesize more of these lipids and therefore will require more oxygen.
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I hate making long posts, but I think those were important to dispell any myths about yeast health and pitching rates. Even Wyeast would say that oxygenation is criticial, and so is the right pitching rate. Stressed yeast can and will cause some poor flavors that will NOT be cleaned up by a long primary.
Also, keep in mind that even two packages with a starter (to hit that 12 million cells per milliliter) will depend on the age of the yeast and the handling. A brand new, fresh-from-the-manufacturer yeast pack will have more cells than one that's been sitting around the homebrew store for a few months!
