Think I F**** up my wort

[Beauxman1]

Brand new brewer here. Sorry if my question has already been asked somewhere else.

I activated my Wyeast like the directions said, find the little packet inside, move it to a corner inside, and give it a good smack to break it open. Did just as the instructions asked, and felt around and couldn't feel it anymore. So I assumed it broke.
3 hours later, I open the pack to pitch in my wort, and a little plastic package of yeast falls out into my wort.
I wasn't sure what to do so I opened the pack and added it to the wort.
Immediately afterwards I thought that I probably infected my wort, and second, I'm pretty sure the yeast isn't activated properly.

I'm considering dumping the whole batch batch (Belgium Triple) and starting over in the morning with new ingredients.

Start over or proceed to fermentation?

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

I'd let it ride and see what turns up. Could turn out fine so I think I'd wait before is dump it.

 

[brewbama]

No. You're fine. You'd have pitched it in anyways. Everything inside that package is sterile.

Don't dump a beer on what you think may have happened. Only dump a beer when you don't like the taste.

 

[Transamguy77]

Would just let it ride, it's sanitized inside that packet so you really can't infect it.

I'm going to assume that the pack didn't swell? The little pack isn't the yeast it's nutrient to start the yeast going.

Relax and let it ride, you'll be fine.

 

[worlddivides]

No. You're fine. You'd have pitched it in anyways. Everything inside that package is sterile.

Don't dump a beer on what you think may have happened. Only dump a beer when you don't like the taste.

+1. I wouldn't dump a beer unless you were sure it was ruined. And, even then, sometimes beers you think are ruined can actually be salvaged.

 

[Thatinfidel]

i'm pretty sure the yeast is in the main pouch, and the little smack bubble is nutrients anyway, so you were likely fine either way. Bottom line, relax, it's gonna be ok!

 

[Beauxman1]

Ok ok I'm chilling out. Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll let it ride and see how it turns out.

 

[PADave]

Let it ride. Never dump a brew unless it's undrinkable. Even then, give it some time before dumping.

 

[mongoose33]

I'm shocked that no one has yet offered up the Homebrewer's acronym:

RDWHAHB

Relax, don't worry, have a home brew.

I know this is your first brew so you really cannot follow the above advice, but the normal rule of thumb is that unless you screwed up horribly badly, things will probably turn out.

I'd guess you're fine. I sure wouldn't throw all those fine ingredients away until and unless I was certain it was screwed up.

 

[Beauxman1]

I'm shocked that no one has yet offered up the Homebrewer's acronym:

RDWHAHB

Relax, don't worry, have a home brew.

I know this is your first brew so you really cannot follow the above advice, but the normal rule of thumb is that unless you screwed up horribly badly, things will probably turn out.

I'd guess you're fine. I sure wouldn't throw all those fine ingredients away until and unless I was certain it was screwed up.

RDWHAHB! That's awesome..I'll definitely do exactly that. Fermenter is sealed up and in the closet. Pouring a local Ft Collins brew as we speak..relaxing 😉

 

[Sailingeric]

It is really hard to screw up beer if you are clean and control the temp. Beer wants to be made, so short of throwing a dead body in it, you will get something that is fair to very yummy tasting!

 

[Thatinfidel]

I'm shocked that no one has yet offered up the Homebrewer's acronym:

RDWHAHB

Relax, don't worry, have a home brew.

I know this is your first brew so you really cannot follow the above advice, but the normal rule of thumb is that unless you screwed up horribly badly, things will probably turn out.

I'd guess you're fine. I sure wouldn't throw all those fine ingredients away until and unless I was certain it was screwed up.

Suggesting a homebrew to a first time brewer on his maiden batch seemed a bit... well.. difficult for him to do.. so sticking with the relax and don't worry parts were the only ones that made sense in this instance

 

[mongoose33]

I'm shocked that no one has yet offered up the Homebrewer's acronym:

RDWHAHB

Relax, don't worry, have a home brew.

I know this is your first brew so you really cannot follow the above advice, but the normal rule of thumb is that unless you screwed up horribly badly, things will probably turn out.

I'd guess you're fine. I sure wouldn't throw all those fine ingredients away until and unless I was certain it was screwed up.

Suggesting a homebrew to a first time brewer on his maiden batch seemed a bit... well.. difficult for him to do.. so sticking with the relax and don't worry parts were the only ones that made sense in this instance

I'm pretty sure I noted exactly that in that as a first time brewer he probably didn't have a homebrew available.

But if he just exercises patience, that most difficult of all homebrew skills to acquire, before long he'll be able to honor that acronym to its fullest extent.

 

[Thatinfidel]

I'm pretty sure I noted exactly that in that as a first time brewer he probably didn't have a homebrew available.

But if he just exercises patience, that most difficult of all homebrew skills to acquire, before long he'll be able to honor that acronym to its fullest extent.

You did indeed! but you also noted shock that noone had offered that exact advise. Not to worry though, i've been following your advise for him, a lot... pretty much all night!

 

[MaryB]

No homebrew? Go buy an ale you have never had before and try it!

 

[IslandLizard]

You really should read up on making starters, though... One smack pack is a bit skimpy for a Tripel, more so if it's older.

Otherwise, let her ride!

 

[seatazzz]

About 2 months ago I brewed what was supposed to be a IIPA. 2 weeks after bottling it was cr*p, no hop flavor or aroma, just a malt bomb. Forgot about and let it go. Just cracked one, it's still got nothing for hops but it turned into something similar to a porter. Pretty tasty. So the moral is, RDWHAC (or whatever you have on hand) and let it ride.

 

[woo_pig]

I just did a Schwartz yesterday .And when I was cleaning the boil kettle I found a couple of rocks in the bottom of it .I guess my daughter decided to add her spices to it. I'm going to let it ride. What sucks is that I was going to enter it in my first competition .I think I might send in the Belgian wit that I just kegged .

 

[god910]

I'm new here, so don't listen to me. Seriously... At all. But! I thought the same as you when I did my first cider. Carbonation wasn't happening, it smelled like nail polish remover... it was just all around bad. I was gonna dump it. I knew I did everything I was supposed to sterility wise, and followed the directions precisely. I went back to my local shop and told them what happened. About 45 questions later he was about to give up and said, "What's your ABV?"

Ummmmmm... hehehe "14.5%". I sheepishly answered.

He said, "Oh! Well ****! You killed the yeast! You likely beat it to death." I, painstakingly, let it condition in the carboy for the better part of 4 months, sampling every 30 days or so.

I bought a kegging system, back sweetened, and added in some specialty ingredients based on what I'd read.

It ended up the best damn cider me or anyone I know had ever had, but the wife would only let me have two at a time. Hahaha

Moral of the story: Time heals all wounds, and sometimes, you have to re-pitch your yeast because you *+%ed it up. Hahaha

 

[passedpawn]

Brand new brewer here. Sorry if my question has already been asked somewhere else.

I activated my Wyeast like the directions said, find the little packet inside, move it to a corner inside, and give it a good smack to break it open. Did just as the instructions asked, and felt around and couldn't feel it anymore. So I assumed it broke.
3 hours later, I open the pack to pitch in my wort, and a little plastic package of yeast falls out into my wort.
I wasn't sure what to do so I opened the pack and added it to the wort.
Immediately afterwards I thought that I probably infected my wort, and second, I'm pretty sure the yeast isn't activated properly.

I'm considering dumping the whole batch batch (Belgium Triple) and starting over in the morning with new ingredients.

Start over or proceed to fermentation?

What you did isn't a big deal at all. In fact, I really doubt that little packet in there does much at all. I think it's yeast nutrients (e.g., zinc, which isn't in beer wort).

As somebody else pointed out though, if you are making a big beer, your mistake was not using enough yeast. This can cause fermentation to stall as the yeast dies from the high ABV, slow start to fermentation, and maybe off flavors. Using more than one pack of yeast is the easiest solution. You can also grow more yeast in a "yeast starter". Reusing yeast is a great way too. I common yeasts that I use in mason jars in my garage fridge. After racking the beer off the yeast cake, I just fill a few jars with the remaining slurry and label them. Unfortunately, you shouldn't save the yeast from high-gravity beers since that yeast has been poisoned and is not likely to be healthy.