My Yeast didn't work

[DarkerTheBetter]

So on Monday, I bought and extract kit. It came with a wyeast 1028 smack pack. Which I smacked around 2pm on Monday. I shook, shook and shook it some more, then put it backin the fridge. I did notice some fizzing sound inside it, but it never really expanded like in the past. I checked several time for the pouch inside, but never felt. 24 hours later I desided to go ahead and make my yeast starter. When I went to pitch the yeast I discovered the inner pouch didn't fully break open. I emptied the rest of the contents into the yeast then poured it into my starter. Now I've seen action in the starter usually within a few hours. Here it is nearly 48 hours later I have very few bubbles sitting on the surface. It also appears that there is no longer any bubbling in the airlock. I'm planning on getting a new yeast pack today. Will it safe to pour it into the yeast starter I already have going or should I make a new one.:fro:

 

[Yooper]

Well, two things here come to my mind- one is, don't smack it and stick it in the fridge. Cold makes the yeast go dormant. Always bring your yeast to room temperature before pitching, and definitely after smaking it.

Secondly, I've had starters ferment out completely without any signs. There should be a nice think layer of yeast on the bottom of your vessel- if there is, then the starter worked. If you're really, really in doubt that it worked, sanitize your hydrometer and take an SG ready of that wort. (I had to do that once when I really didn't know if it fermented or not- turns out it read like 1.012 and was done, and I just missed it!)

 

[DarkerTheBetter]

Thanks for the info Yoop. My question now is, since I smack the yeast pack and put it back inhe fridge for 24 hours. Was this enough time to kill it off. There is a thick sludge at the bottom. It actually looks like 2 layers. An off white on top of gray layer.

 

[k1v1116]

a fridge wont kill yeast even a freezer shouldnt kill it completely. what I usually do it take the smack pack out of the fridge and wait for it to come up to room temp then break the inner pack and let it swell for 2 days or so in advance of brewing, but I have smacked them cold in the morning and pitched them into the beer in the afternoon with out any problems.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks for the info Yoop. My question now is, since I smack the yeast pack and put it back inhe fridge for 24 hours. Was this enough time to kill it off. There is a thick sludge at the bottom. It actually looks like 2 layers. An off white on top of gray layer.

He's right- you don't kill fridge in the fridge. That's why you buy it and store it refrigerated, to keep it fresher and preserve it. It just goes dormant at those temps.

If you have some trub and yeast at the bottom of the starter vessel, then it seems to have fermented out when you weren't looking.

 

[DarkerTheBetter]

Boy when those 100 billion yeast guys get together they sure like to fool around. Well the feedback sounds good. I guess the only thing left to do sterilize the equipment and brew some beer. Oh yeah, and have a home brew. Belgium Triple by the way.