Smack Packs?

[Scott Miller]

Anyone else have trouble with smack packs? This was the first time I tried to use one and the thing was so full of air to begin with that there was no way to even locate the inner "pack" let alone pop it.....but Northern Brewer must have the inside connection cause this yeast was only a few weeks old so I pitched it as is , its been about 10 hours and theres full krausen and insanely good fermenting already.

I mean, I'm no dummy, and I actually tried my best to pop that nutrient pouch, and had my buddy give it a shot too, and we convinced ourselves that it was swelling, even though we knew it was'nt.

I guess what I'll do is next time that I order a beer kit, I'll buy one of those starter kits, with the flask and bubbler and if I cant get a better smack pack I'll just start the liquid yeast in there.

[grainbrew]

I've had that problem once, but it might be because I had kept the pack in a warm area. I keep it in the fridge now until I want to smack it, and it swells up in 4 to 6 hours from my experience. You mistake it swelling. It will get very tight. So much so that I'm sometimes afraid it will explode.

I usually smack the pack 6 to 8 hours before I pitch, and get little lag time.

J

[Robo]

This is not as easy to do as they make it sound in the instructions. I've always managed to get it to work by whacking the snot out of the package.

[PFDarkside]

Yeah, they don't call it a smack pack for nothing! My fear is that I'll burst the outer package but I don't think that will happen. I think the key is to put it on a counter and lean on it with the heel of your palm.

[Kiltlifter]

Originally posted by PFDarkside
I think the key is to put it on a counter and lean on it with the heel of your palm. Boy! You weren't kidding! This is the first time I've used one of these. "Lightly" smack it my ash. Sounded like an overcarbonated bottle being opened.

[Grog]

Originally posted by PFDarkside
...My fear is that I'll burst the outer package but I don't think that will happen...

BULL-OH-KNEE!!! I did just that! Blew a hole straight out the top of a pack of Belgian Strong Ale yeast. Goo all over the kitchen wall, cursin' & yellin', and one p.o.'d wife. Luckily I had an extra pack of 1056 that didn't Moby Dick on me, but the beer really wasn't what I originally intended. (BTW-1056 doesn't seem to taste as good when you hit the middle-hi 70°F's).

My current technique is to work the nutrient pack to the top corner and push down and toward the bottom of the pack.

[Scott Miller]

Originally posted by Kiltlifter
Boy! You weren't kidding! This is the first time I've used one of these. "Lightly" smack it my ash. Sounded like an overcarbonated bottle being opened. So when you get the nutrient bag broken, it will make an audible pop? I like the idea of pressing it on the counter, until it pops. I was under the impression that I had to squeez just the inner pouch to get it to work. I guess they should tell you that on the directions.

Upon further reviewing of the remains of the pack, the inner pouch was leaking a little. So maybe that was what made it seem like it was swelling already and hard to pop.

Next time I'll rough it up a bit if I have to.

[voodoo]

I had the exact same problem finding that nutrient pack. The outer pouch had just enough "air" in it that it made squeezing it with your fingers to locate the inner pack impossible. I too relegated myself to beating the absolute daylights out of it at the risk of rupturing the outer pouch.
I've used the smack-pack several times, and have had GREAT fermentation every time. Kudos to Wyeast. Hell, if everything were easy, life would be boring!