Yeast smack pack

[beerguy2009]

I am trying a Wyeast smack pack for my next ale.
Am I suppose to let it warm to room temp before activating it or can I do that direct from the frig?
It said on the pack to let stand for 3 hours at 70 to 75 degrees before pitching. I am just not sure if I need to let it warm up first before activating it.

 

[Doc Robinson]

Smack it when you take it out of the fridge. Then let it sit at room temperature. Use a starter as well.

 

[beerguy2009]

Thanks. I thought it had a starter as part of the smack pack. The guy where I bought it said to add it to the wort when it was ready but said nothing about adding a starter beforehand.

 

[MurderMittenBrewing]

You can direct pitch from the Activator pack, especially if your OG is less than 1.060 or so. The stuff in the Activator pack is yeast nutrient, but it's not a starter. Starters are designed to increase cell count, whereas the Activator pack just wakes the yeast up a little.

 

[fotomatt1]

I am going to make a starter for my next batch....until now I've just used the Wyeast Smack Pack on it's own. How do you know how much starter to use?

 

[mordantly]

1-2L per 5 gallons is my target.

 

[PseudoChef]

http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html for how much yeast to use per 5 gal batch.

I don't even bother smacking those packs since I make a starter every time.

 

[fotomatt1]

I was going to buy this yeast starter kit from Northern Brewer:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/1000-ml-yeast-starter-kit.html

It's only a 1000ml flask....is that large enough to make a starter for a 5 gal batch? Austin Homebrew has a similar kit.

 

[mordantly]

a 2L is a minimum unless you want to decant and step up a few times.

 

[fotomatt1]

the calculator says I'd need 3 - 4 liters of starter for the beers i've been making. It this normal? It also says I'd need 3 - 4 smack packs. This doesn't seem right to me.

 

[mordantly]

like many aspects of brewing, some opinion is asserted. like i said, i use under <1.075=1L >1.075=2L. i would rather underpitch with moderate aeration and let the yeast decide amongst themselves how they prefer to handle the task i assigned to them.

 

[PseudoChef]

I was going to buy this yeast starter kit from Northern Brewer:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/1000-ml-yeast-starter-kit.html

It's only a 1000ml flask....is that large enough to make a starter for a 5 gal batch? Austin Homebrew has a similar kit.

In my opinion, a 1L flask is next to worthless. You can go to your favorite brewpub and get a filled growler that's usually 2L. Drink the beer and use the growler for starters.

 

[beerguy2009]

OK. I made the wort and put it in the fermenter. I pitched it with the Wyeast yeast smack pack after breaking open the inner pouch and letting it sit for 4 hours. It has been 20 hours and it is not fermenting (no bubbles in the airlock). Should I be worried?

 

[MurderMittenBrewing]

Which yeast are you using? Lots of factors (starting gravity, temperature, yeast cell count) can affect how quickly your yeast reaches high krausen.

Keep in mind that bubbles in your airlock is not an accurate indication of whether or not fermentation is taking place. I'd wait another day or two before you get concerned.

 

[beerguy2009]

Which yeast are you using? Lots of factors (starting gravity, temperature, yeast cell count) can affect how quickly your yeast reaches high krausen.

Keep in mind that bubbles in your airlock is not an accurate indication of whether or not fermentation is taking place. I'd wait another day or two before you get concerned.

I am using Wyeast american Ale liquid yeast with activator. The starting gravity was 1.043. Temp when pitched was 74 and is now 68. Cell count was 100 billion.
This is only my 2nd batch I have ever made and it wasn't an ingeredients kit so I am a bit nervious. I saw activity after 12 hours when I made the kit. It used dry yeast if that makes a difference.

 

[beerguy2009]

OK 36 hours have passed and still nothing.
I wonder if I did something wrong. Here is what I did:
I took the smack pack out of the frig and broke open the inner pack. I let it sit on the counter for about 4 hours but the bag never really puffed up much. I went ahead and added the yeast to the wort that was about 74 degrees. and stirred the wort and splashed it a bit to airate the wort. Then I put it in a room that is about 65 degrees and let it sit where it is now. I did squish the bag of yeast a bit after I smacked it.
Did I do something wrong? Should I shake the bucket and splash it around some more? Should I just be patient and wait?