My First Smack Pack Attempt

[Evan!]

Just wanted to make sure that I do this right. There are directions on the packs (they're Wyeast Activator Packs), but I know there's been some trouble with them from some people. So, if you have any good suggestions for a first-time pack-smacker, it'd be much appreciated.

 

[Cheesefood]

Just wanted to make sure that I do this right. There are directions on the packs (they're Wyeast Activator Packs), but I know there's been some trouble with them from some people. So, if you have any good suggestions for a first-time pack-smacker, it'd be much appreciated.

Trap the bubble in a corner and keep smacking till you're sure it pops.

 

[Pumbaa]

yup, basicly what cheesefood said, except I just lean on mine until the little pouch inside pops, shake it up and let it sit until it looks like it's going to explode. I spray mine down with some sanatizer too b4 open them and dump them in.

If it's the smaller 50ml smack pack make a starter. Is it's the bigger 125 ml one you dont have to make a starter but a bunch of people here will yell if ya dont . . . I never have with the larger ones and they have always gave me airlock activity in about 4 hours.

 

[Spyk'd]

Lay the entire pack in your flattened palm and smack it with your other flattened palm after making sure the inner pack is in the center of the main pack. Smack it hard, so that it hurts your hand and you'll know it's popped. Then shake the sh!t out of it.


I'd still make a starter, but you really don't need to.

 

[nosnhojr]

Lay the entire pack in your flattened palm and smack it with your other flattened palm after making sure the inner pack is in the center of the main pack. Smack it hard, so that it hurts your hand and you'll know it's popped. Then shake the sh!t out of it.


I'd still make a starter, but you really don't need to.

Yeah, I make starters as well, but I think it's mostly a fetish -- I just love to watch the starter bubble away! It's ALIVE!!

 

[Reverend JC]

Well smacking is my fetish and I love to smack the ...............................................wait, hehe..............................we are talking about yeast here huh...........................my bad

 

[grnich]

I have another question on smackpacks. I have mine in the fridge now. Should I adjust to room temp before smacking?

 

[Mikey]

It doesn't make any difference. Just allow enough time before you brew for the yeast to 'come back to life' and even better, for you to make a good starter.

Many people give up on smackpacks or liquid yeast in general because they fail to do both steps above.

The Wyeast site has an excellent set of instructions on how to predict how long it will take for the yeast to recover, based on how old the package is.

 

[Spyk'd]

Basically you need to wait a day for each month past the yeast's production date on the pack. What I do is smack it hard, wait 24 hours, then make a starter.



Starters rock! I've heard it said a bunch of times on here about "airlock activity within 'X' amount of hours", but I never have real fast starts without starters. Without a starter I'd usually get activity after 24 hours. With a starter, it's a matter of hours, like 6 or less. Less lag time is good!

Hope this helps.

 

[sailman]

we have had a few that after we smacked they didnt swell up as much as we expected.. we called our LHBS and he stated that he had actually spoken with the company regarding this because quite a few of us had complained and they stated that it happens and that the yeast would work fine..

when it happened to us..we put it in a warm place to help promote the yeast growth some.. it did swell some but not like before.. but we pitched anyway and had a very active fermenation...when i say warm.. i mean warmed than 70-72 degrees..we actually put it on top of the dryer and turned the dryer on..it seemed to help (our LHBS has also suggested the warm spot to us before)

 

[Rookie]

Basically you need to wait a day for each month past the yeast's production date on the pack. What I do is smack it hard, wait 24 hours, then make a starter.

Not always. I had a Wyeast 1335 that was three or four months past the best by date and it started swelling in about six hours.
The only time that I don't do a starter is on a low o.g. brew like a mild or ordinary bitter and then only if the yeast is two weeks old or less (three gallons).
With a starter I usually see signs of fermentation in two hours, or less.

 

[boo boo]

I have another question on smackpacks. I have mine in the fridge now. Should I adjust to room temp before smacking?

When I go to use one I just take out of the fridge and pop it. Then I keep it in a warm place to swell. Then I make a starter!.

Ottawa? Have you met these guys? http://barleyment.wort.ca/biz/?biz=48

Great bunch of guys.

 

[Evan!]

Well, I didn't make a starter, but I did have success with the Smack Pack...it was a 125 mL Wyeast Activator---smacked it the night before, left it on top of the fridge. By the time I pitched, the pack was swelled to capacity. I had airlock activity within 24 hours...which isn't optimal, but I didn't feel like making a starter. Maybe next time.

Thanks for your help, guys. I'll let you know how my Smoked Doppeldunkelweizen comes out...

 

[veggiess]

Going to use my first one, too. How long can they sit after you've activated them until you use them? I am brewing sometime this weekend, but I don't know when (could be Fri eve, could be Sun night), so I thought I should go ahead and SMACK it tonight or in the morning. Is this too soon if I don't brew till Sun night? Thanks!

 

[todd_k]

If you end up smackin' it too early just put it in the 'fridge until a few hours before you need it so it has time to warm up.

 

[Evan!]

After my experience with the Belgian Abbey strain, I'd say smack it now, wait till it's fully swollen, then make a starter and pitch into that. Otherwise, lord knows what your lag time will be.

 

[boo boo]

I feel for the pouch inside and centre it as best as I can.
I then place it on a table and rap it hard in the centre where
the pouch is suposed to be, with my knuckle. You can feel
it when you pop the pouch. Shake it up and listen for
the sound inside the pack of "pop rockets". you know
you have popped it then.
I never had a problem with activating a pack this way.

 

[debtman7]

I never smack it, it never works for me Just wiggle the inner pouch up to a corner and trap it there, lay it on the counter and press down until it pops. No hurting your hand this way...

My longest time to swell was 6 days, after the pack had been kept in a car in august for 2 weeks. Beer came out fine

 

[EugeneStyles]

I almost never make a starter. Just work the inner pack into the corner, smack it and try to find the inner pack. If it ain't there, it's smacked. Usually, this is 4-6 hours before pitching, since we're not always sure we'll be able to brew, and even when we are, we somethimes forget. Never had a problem. Since brew day is every Tuesday, it only matters that fermentation is done in 7 days or less, and so far it always is.

 

[Carne de Perro]

I use the "press against the counter" method, it's simpler to get the bubble popped. I usually pop the bubble right before I brew, the pack is just starting to swell when it's time to pitch and I get the yeast in the carboy when it's getting excited. No problems, no worries...

 

[ajf]

This makes me feel better.
There are so many posts about how to actually burst the inner pouch and verify that it has burst, I no longer believe that I am the only one who thought that the pouch was burst when it wasn't

-a.

 

[iloman]

I usually pop the bubble right before I brew, the pack is just starting to swell when it's time to pitch and I get the yeast in the carboy when it's getting excited. No problems, no worries...

I used my first smack pack on my last brew, the pumpkin porter. Basically I did the same thing, smacked it as I started to get the water going and pitched it as soon as the wort was down to 80.

The Brewing Network did a show back in July with Dave Logsdon of Wyeast yeast company. It was the first I listened to and definitly recommend it. It's the July 10 2006 show found in the archives.

 

[Evan!]

Just be careful, folks. When I was smacking my last activator pack, I was concerned that the pouch was not broken. I couldn't really tell, so I made sure to give it REALLY good smack, after a few on the table. I thought, incorrectly, that the outer packaging could withstand a smacking just short of being run over with a car wheel. Boy, was I wrong. I mean, I may be a weightlifter, but I'm no superman...and with that last smack, I ended up popping the outer foil. Just a small hole in the corner of the bottom separation. I lost a few drops, not much, I just want you guys to know that there is surely a limit when it comes to smacking pressure.