Really Slow Start to Primary Ferm

[Tapout]

I brewed up NB's Emma's Ale on Sunday, using ingredients from my LHBS. The recipe called for Wyeast 1275 so I purchased the activation pack, noting that it was packaged in mid-February. I smacked it early on, but it hadn't even started to puff up hours later. I usually smack the pack about 4 hours before I brew, which means it's puffed right up by the time I'm ready for the yeast. This time, the wort is brewed and still no activity from the package. By the time I went to bed the pack was still not showing any signs of life, so I figured the next day I'd take it to the LHBS and hopefully get a replacement. I wake up and it's actually started to swell up...not much, but enough to show viability. I'm thinking the LHBS won't replace it since it's actually starting to activate, so I wait a few more hours and it swells to almost what I'm used to seeing. I pour it in and...nothing. It's been two days now, at ~64 degrees with no bubbler activity and no signs of a krausen starting. How long do ya'll think I should wait before I just get another package? And what, if any, adverse things can happen from this situation? Thanks for any replies.


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[Hello]

Take it back. It took until morning to puff up just a little? That may show it is viable but it is barely viable. The yeast is on the old side. Wyeast says the following:

Our Product Warranty states that we guarantee the viability of the yeast in our Activator™ packages for 6 months from the manufacture date assuming that they have been properly shipped, stored and handled. Our superior packaging material provides 100% oxygen barrier and UV light protection making this exceptional guarantee possible. During this 6 month guaranteed shelf life, some loss of viability is to be expected. This will vary from one strain to another. Activator™ packages that are 4 months old or older may require additional time to swell after activation.

Although it is only 3 months old, I would say that it is possible the yeast isn't healthy enough. I don't know your original gravity of your beer, but I would certainly take it back.

Wyeast even says:

5. How long should it take for a package to swell?

If a package is within 2 months of the manufacture date, the package should show signs of swelling within 5 hours and typically much faster than that. When the yeast is stored for long periods of time, they slowly consume their energy reserves (glycogen). When the energy reserves get low, the yeast are slow to produce CO2 and therefore are slow to cause swelling in the package. Improper storage at warm temperatures also has the same effect as long storage times.

So you do not know if the yeast was properly stored. What if the LHBS got it and it sat out for hours before they stocked it in their fridge? Things you just can't know.

Then they say:

3. Does the package need to be fully swollen before pitching?

No, The package can be pitched before activating, or at anytime during the activation process. The activation process "jump starts" the culture's metabolism, minimizing the lag phase.

So basically, in my opinion you will have a lag phase, the yeast doesn't seem viable enough and you probably should have made a starter anyway (100 billion cells isn't much) but now that you have seen that the pouch isn't swelling, I would just ask for another pack.

What is your OG?

 

[JoeHoffman]

When I decide to use liquid yeast I always grab a pack of dry for a couple bucks as a back up. Try to get the closest match in yeast profiles in a dry form and if something goes wrong you just sprinkle it in and you save the brew from danger of contamination and possibly discover a new perhaps even better beer. I've never had a beer take more than two days to get yeast activity.

 

[Tapout]

OG was 1.037, a little on the low side for Emma's Ale. And, I already pitched it. Once I saw the bag had swelled most of the way I went ahead and used it, so there was nothing to take back. The LHBS owner is pretty cool though. He may give me another pack. I'll have to call him and find out.


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[JoeHoffman]

Anything yet?

 

[Tapout]

$7:&@/8.);& This is really getting annoying!!! Two times I've almost finished replying and had the program restart.

Anyway. I picked up another packet from the LHBS. Didn't cost me, as the owner says Wyeast guarantees their product and he'd be reimbursed by them. Smacked it as soon as I arrived home and it swelled up nicely within a couple hours. Pitched it last night and had good beginning activity this morning. Hopefully I don't go home to a blown airlock LOL.


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[JoeHoffman]

That's good to hear hope it turns out well for you. You may want to rack to a secondary as soon as the yeast is done because you have a lot of apparently dead yeast cells just sitting at the bottom now.

 

[Tapout]

A quick update on this batch. It was ready to drink a couple weeks ago so I tried one. It tasted slightly like a Belgian/saison, not like what it should have tasted like. I kept wondering about it and looked at my notes. It was exactly the same as my first batch with the exception of the one slow yeast pack. Do you think that the...I'm now going to say "bad" yeast pack...could have changed the taste so much? It probably is fine to those who like it, but I REALLY don't like the Belgian/saisons. The only batch I have brewed that compares is NB's La Petite Orange; same flavor profile albeit not quite as noticeable.


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