Wyeast question

[suzuki98]

Hello all...I'm getting ready to start brewing this weekend and bought all my ingredients about a week ago. My question is my wyeast american ale has been in the refrigerator for a week and noticed that the bag has been getting fatter over the days. It's not super fat but it has doubled the size as when it came. I did not smack the pack and was wondering if I should buy a new bag or this one should still be ok?

thanks

 

[DrummerBoySeth]

If the smack pack is still sealed, and has been refrigerated the whole time, it should still be OK. Is there any way that the smack pack could have accidentally been popped without you knowing it? (kids, SWMBO, dropped on floor, etc?) I would be more concerned about a smack pack that did not swell. Boil some extract and make a small starter before you pitch... You will be able to tell if the yeast is still alive that way.

 

[suzuki98]

There is no guarantee that nobody popped the pack but I'll try the small starter.

Thanks

 

[oakbarn]

I have had pack swell by themselves and some not at all after I smacked them. The ones that swelled god real fat when warmed and the ones that did not, it always turned out the inner pack was not broken. We pitch at least 3 and often mix yeasts but we have yet to have Wyeast fail.

 

[oakbarn]

BTW I use 3 packs for 15 gallons and normally make a starter

 

[suzuki98]

thx oakbarn! Very helpful

 

[ajf]

See the Wyeast FAQ http://www.wyeastlab.com/faqs.cfm?website=2#r16 especially question 25. I've had lots of packs swell a bit before smacking, and they've always worked out fine.

-a.

 

[Pezman1]

1056 is known to do this if I'm not mistaken. I know its happened to me a couple times.
Pez.