Non-activated Wyeast pack - yucky beer

[Duster]

I brewed an Irish Stout extract kit a couple months ago, and the Wyeast did not activate - I did not smack it correctly....

Threw it in anyway but bottom line after conditioning in the bottle for at least 8 weeks it still tastes yucky - Im guessing it was the yeast - Im dumping the rest of the batch.....

 

[BigFloyd]

The little capsule doesn't really contribute that much to the yeast cell count. Without a starter, you'd likely be under pitching anyway even if you broke the inside capsule and it swelled. It's likely something else in your process (like too high pitch/ferment temps) that caused the beer to taste "yucky".

If you're going to keep using liquid yeast, learn how to make starters and get an idea about the size needed for the gravity of the batch.

 

[duboman]

Ya, most likely not the yeast but something else, maybe this link can help you define "yucky" and figure out what went wrong

http://www.beerjudgeschool.com/uploads/Beer_Characteristics_Flash_Cards.pdf


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[uatuba]

The little capsule doesn't really contribute that much to the yeast cell count. Without a starter, you'd likely be under pitching anyway even if you broke the inside capsule and it swelled. It's likely something else in your process (like too high pitch/ferment temps) that caused the beer to taste "yucky".



If you're going to keep using liquid yeast, learn how to make starters and get an idea about the size needed for the gravity of the batch.

Just so you know...the "capsule" you break is actually the yeast. The material surrounding that is the nutrient.


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[duboman]

Just so you know...the "capsule" you break is actually the yeast. The material surrounding that is the nutrient.


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Ummm, no, you've got that backwards

The little pouch you smack is the nutrient that is released to wake up the yeast causing the pack to swell.

Breaking the pouch is really not necessary, especially if you are making a starter


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[kh54s10]

Just so you know...the "capsule" you break is actually the yeast. The material surrounding that is the nutrient.


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S

WRONG, it is the other way around. I make starters and open the pack without smacking. So I have opened each separately.

 

[uatuba]

Yes I did write that backwards, but I didn't intend to! I use Wyeast occasionally and never smack the pack...just toss the inner packet in the trash altogether and use the yeast.

Not sure how I got distracted and switched my words around? I was typing that while getting my oil changed.

 

[kh54s10]

The lack of a starter did not help, the non activation did not help, But the problem lies elsewhere.....

Underpitching would make the flavor off, but not bad enough to have to dump it.

Read the thread about not dumping beers too soon.

 

[kh54s10]

Yes I did write that backwards, but I didn't intend to! I use Wyeast occasionally and never smack the pack...just toss the inner packet in the trash altogether and use the yeast.

Not sure how I got distracted and switched my words around? I was typing that while getting my oil changed.

Why not use the nutrient. I just add it to my starter. There is no reason not too, and it might even be better. A lot of people always add a nutrient to a starter.

 

[uatuba]

The long and short of it is that I've noticed yeast slurry inside the inner packet after pitching the yeast into my starter, and there's no good way to get it out that I've found without potentially contaminating the starter.

 

[kh54s10]

I usually don't activate a pack when making a starter. I sanitize everything well. Open the pouch and pour in the yeast. I then retrieve the nutrient pouch and cut the top off with sanitized scissors and add it.

I have never had any problems.

Even when I did smack, I did not worry about the tiny amount of yeast that was left in the nutrient pouch. That is the point of making a starter isn't it. To increase the cell counts.

 

[Duster]

Thanks for all of the replies - what ever I did, even after 8 weeks in the bottle, it still was worth dumping - life is too short to drink yucky beer....