Smack Pack Already Smacked? BONUS TOPIC: Reyeast?

[jeffdill]

OK I have two questions.

I bought the extract kit for NorthernBrewer.com's 115th Dream Hopbursted Imperial IPA (~10% ABV). I got the liquid yeast option, which I've never used before (did dry yeast my first 7 batches). I received the packet as the pic below shows, is this how it comes or has it swollen a bit in transit? If it HAS already been smacked in the mail then will it not work as well? I've been keeping it in the fridge for a couple days since I got it and will be brewing tomorrow, I want to make sure my yeast friends will work hard enough for me!

Second question: in the comments for this beer they recommend you re-yeast at bottling to avoid the undercarbonation problems. The only other yeast I have is Safale US-05, will the combo of that and the Wyeast hurt the taste? And am I supposed to add the WHOLE pack when re-yeasting?

Sorry if they are bad questions!

 

[Grumpybumpy]

1. looks normal to me! They really blow up when they're ready to fart and pee
2. I wouldn't re-yeast...sounds unnecessary to me. EDIT: The yeasties are still alive weeks and weeks after fermentation. There should be enough in suspension to carb. If you're worried, you can gently scrape a little yeast off the bottom to make sure you have enough in the bottling bucket

BTW, that picture is ENORMOUS! WHOAAAAAA!

 

[statseeker]

Make a starter anyway.

And on a seperate note, I think I can see the spaces between the atoms on your table!

 

[beerandloathinginaustin]

I think I can see the spaces between the atoms on your table!

Yet we don't know what type of yeast it is!

Very atomically correct table btw. Well bonded. :cross:

 

[uncommonsense]

Is the little packet inside broke. i just got one that looks like that but the packet isn't broken.

 

[jeffdill]

After looking around a bit it sounds like it doesn't even really matter if it was smacked or not if you use a starter. I'm definitely going to use a starter since the ABV is like 10% and I want to be sure it ferments completely! Never done that before either, I'll just search around here how to do it I guess...

So is the consensus that reyeasting with a big beer is unneccesary? I don't want the beer to be undercarbed, but I'm worried that reyeasting with different yeast will hurt the flavor or cause bottle bombs or something.

Yet we don't know what type of yeast it is!

It's Wyeast 1056 American Ale, in case you were curious

Is the little packet inside broke. i just got one that looks like that but the packet isn't broken.

I was feeling around for this...I can feel something in the bag but I don't know if it is a solid packet or what. Kind of hard to tell if it's one thing or a couple things broken up...

BTW, that picture is ENORMOUS! WHOAAAAAA!

Ehhhhhhh sorry about that...just snapped a pic with my phone and uploaded it to TinyPic, I'm not sure why it's so big

 

[flyingtiger]

I also received a pack from NB that was in the same condition. I called them and they said they would replace it. However, he did say it wasn't a big issue and that the yeast should be ok for approx. 6 months. I think I will do a starter just to be sure, but you should be good to go.

 

[houndsbreath]

When i saw the original post I wondered if it was 1056; I read somewhere ( no clue exactly where) that this yeast may arrive alightly swollen. I discovered this after recieving a smack pack in that condition. I smacked, pitched and enjoyed a very nice Cascade and Willamette pale ale. My advice: Feel around for the nutrient pack inside and pop that sucker. You can always make a starter, pitch in the yeast then fish out the nutrient pack to see if it is broken. If it's intact, cut it open and add to your starter.

 

[Goaltender66]

It is fine. Assuming you don't smack it before opening, when you do open it up you'll find that the yeast nutrient pack is likely unbroken. Since you put the package in the refrigerator immediately after receiving it you have no worries at all.

As for re-yeasting, I'm torn. On one hand it shouldn't be necessary (It's a DIPA and shouldn't be aggressively carbed to begin with, unless that's your thing), but on the other you have a pretty high ABV which may limit yeast activity for priming. My suggestion is to brew two batches, re-yeast one, and enjoy ten gallons of this most excellent brew.