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Smack Pack - First and Last time

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MSKBeerfan

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Okay I am new to brewing, 2 batches of All Grain and 3 batches of kits under my belt and I have used Liquid or Powder in all previous batches.
I have not mastered the art of using a starter but that is next for certain...

I used a Smack Pack and following the directions the pack expanded, however the inner pack never broke... I realized this after dumping the contents into the Carboy... Fortunetly, the inner pack did not go into my wort. I opened the inner pack and dumped the contents in.

Okay here is the question...
Since the two yeast liquids did not mix will it ferment and will I experience any loss of fermantation? What do you think?
 
The inner pack is just a nutrient that helps get the yeast to optimal condition prior to pitching. You will be OK without it, but better off with it. You really need to smack the sh*t out of a smack pack.
 
I have found that you sometimes need to pin the pack down with one hand and then crush the inner pack with the other hand, if you don't feel it pop it probably didn't.
I really like the smack packs, but you do have to pay attention in the beginnig
 
Great, thanks for the posts and replies!
I need to learn the art of PATIENCE... I have very little and am learning in brewing it's a good trait to have!
 
I really like the smack packs. Like others have said you can easily feel the pack of nutrient inside the smack pack. Force it into a corner of the smack pack and give it a good smack. Feel around and make sure it has ruptured. If it hasn't then repeat, if it has then lay the smack pack on the counter and squeeze the yeast back and forth in the pack to mix all the nutrient in.
 
I love the smack packs. I always try to smack the crap out of the inner pack. Then I spend the next 30 seconds or so trying to make sure I got it.
 
Northern Brewer has a collection of videos about how to properly use Wyeast smack packs. Here is the one about smacking it:

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I love wyeast smack packs. just get the inner pack in the corner and beat that sucker like a red-headed step child!
 
I'm usually breaking the inner packet by hitting some surface like table. Move inner packet to the corner, grab the opposite corner and hit the table - 100% success rate. ;)
 
I could not pop the last pack of 3068! I smacked the crap out of it but it would not open!
I ended up cutting the pack and the inner pouch open with scissors and pouring them in a jar
 
If you have a gallon jug handy, it really is not difficult to make a starter. There are plenty of videos showing how it is done. I have brewed only one batch of beer. It was all grain and I made a starter. I just had to do a little extra work two days in advance to make up the starter. Really easy though and had plenty of yeast to ferment my scotch ale.
 
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