Did my Wyeast Smack Pack Survive Shipping?

[jmiller]

I ordered Wyeast 1056 American Ale yeast online. It shipped from Texas to virginia with a weekend in the middle no ice pack. I have done this before no problem. This time when I opened the box today the pack was inflated. Similar to when it is smacked and left sit overnight but not quite that inflated. When I turn it over I can feel the nutrient bag has NOT been broken.

Do you think the yeast is OK?

I have it on the counter. I figured to let it cool down to room temp before placing it in the fridge so that it cools down as slowly as possible so not to shock the yeast. Is this the best plan?

Thanks!

-Jim

[HogieWan]

is it the "activator" pack? I've gotten a couple lately that I thought were smacked already, but then realized the pack was intact. It should be fine, but its gonna be a PITA to pop that one.

[jmiller]

It is an Activator. I have no idea how to pop it. Maybe chilling will cause it to not be swollen!!! Maybe I should just make a starter!

Thanks!

-Jim

[HogieWan]

I layed mine on the counter, pushed the inner pack to one conrner and held it there with a finger, and then smacked the *&$% out of it. It popped and three hours later was even more swollen

[haaseg]

I just had two packs that I bought at the same time. I've been having a hell of a time with them. Ever 3 hours or so I bang the crap out of them. I can't really feel the inner pack, and it seems flattened. This morning I woke up and one of them had finally swolen to a decent size, so I pitched that one. I just got home from work and the other one hadn't swelled yet. The dates on these packs is July 5, 2005, so I assumed they'd go up pretty fast. So I beat the crap out of that packet again.... And now maybe I'll try Hogie's trick (tried the rolling pin trick already).

I thought I was just totally smack-pack inept, but then doing a search on the forum led me to believe I'm not the only one having problems with these.

[HogieWan]

that pack slides when you hit it. I found that you have to hold it in place when you smack it

[Grog]

Probably should give the yeast some food (make a starter) before sticking it back in the fridge, or you might end up with some pretty unhealthy yeast. When the pack starts to swell (with or without the nutrient pack being ruptured), that indictates the yeast's metabolism has sped up and they are producing by-products and it is time to get them going. So say the nice gentlemen at Wyeast when I had a similar problem.

[SoxyinMO]

I thought I was just totally smack-pack inept, but then doing a search on the forum led me to believe I'm not the only one having problems with these.

Nope! They are tricky little beasts!

[Dextolen]

I've been using vials, my last batch was teh first time I used a smack pack. What a pain in the butt. That little thing dodged every hit! I felt like goin' all Curly on the thing and barking at it.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by Dextolen
I've been using vials, my last batch was teh first time I used a smack pack. What a pain in the butt. That little thing dodged every hit! I felt like goin' all Curly on the thing and barking at it.

Now that is a funny image. Curly and a smack pack....woo woo woo woo woo

[haaseg]

I've used White Labs the last two times, and I've been impressed enough to not have to worry about the smack packs any more.

I put some of their Edinburgh Ale Yeast in an Irish Red 10 days ago and I started drinking it last night.

[Derekt2]

Originally posted by jmiller
I ordered Wyeast 1056 American Ale yeast online. It shipped from Texas to virginia with a weekend in the middle no ice pack. I have done this before no problem. This time when I opened the box today the pack was inflated. Similar to when it is smacked and left sit overnight but not quite that inflated. When I turn it over I can feel the nutrient bag has NOT been broken.

Do you think the yeast is OK?

I have it on the counter. I figured to let it cool down to room temp before placing it in the fridge so that it cools down as slowly as possible so not to shock the yeast. Is this the best plan?

Thanks!

-Jim

Check your PM.

[xscotto]

I'm trying to make my first batch using a "smack pack" right now. I swear I felt the inner pack when the guy at the home brew store described it to me, but now that it's brew time I'll be damned if I can locate the thing. The wife had no luck either. So now I'm randomly striking the whole package with the end of a meat tendorizer, hoping that one of the hundred or so blows gets lucky. Guess I'll wait to see if it puffs up.

Yes, what a pain in the butt. Yeast is one thing I don't want to have any doubts about. It's vials from here on out!

[voodoo]

I’m sure this is a common problem. One time out of twenty I’ll get a hold of that inner pack, give it a good squeeze, and feel it break. All the other times I resort to the same methods listed above. I can tell you, I have never had a bad batch though. I ALWAYS get a good reaction within 3 hours in the pack, and vigorous fermentation in 24 hours or less.

One trick I’ve come up with is to fold the pack in half with one hand (the inner pack slides to the other half) and then bash the bejezus out of the other half. That cuts the “wiggle room” the inner packet has to escape your cruelty by 50%. I was scared at first that I’d actually break the outer pouch, but after steadily abusing the packet more and more each time I’d brew, I’m pretty impressed at how much abuse it can take. One other thing I noticed was how fast I’d get the pack to swell after a beating by giving it a good 10-second shake.

The smack packs are a great product IMO. Don’t get spooked by these posts into not using them. Besides, it’s great when you’re actually SUPPOSED to beat the snot out of something.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by HogieWan
I layed mine on the counter, pushed the inner pack to one conrner and held it there with a finger, and then smacked the *&$% out of it. It popped and three hours later was even more swollen

just to restate - I try to hold the inner pack in the corner of the outer pack with a coupl fingers and then whack it once. It never takes me more than 3 or 4 tries.

[xscotto]

Some follow up on my smack pack woes from last night-

After beating the bejeezus out of the whole thing with the handle of a meat tenderizer, carefully hitting it hundreds of times in random places for about 10 minutes, I felt pretty certain that if anything was in there, it MUST have been struck. So I started my boil.

About 3 hours later, it was time to add the yeast. No puffing of the bag yet. I sanitized the pack and a pair of scizzors, cut off the corner and poured in the contents. Out comes the inner pack, completely intact. The wife and I both shook our heads. We beat the cr*p out of that thing. So I wasn't sure what to do then, but I went ahead and cut the inner pack and poured it into the wort.

I noticed on another thread that the inner pack is just a starter, and the yeast should still work fine, but it's been almost 20 hours and no activity yet. The other 17 batches I've made all used vials, and they all typically started gurgling in 8 to 12 hours. The other factor is that this is the first time I've used my new refrigerator controller, so I'm at 68 degrees instead of room temperature- 77 degrees. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping the slower fermentation is a result of the temperature and not a problem with the yeast.

[HogieWan]

I'd say the temp has something to do with it. Also, how fresh was the yeast? If you read the couple posts I've made here, you'll get tired of me saying that you have to keep the inner pack pinned against the side or corner or it will just slide as you strike it.

[xscotto]

The yeast was pretty fresh, no where near it's "best if used by" date.

The main problem was that we simply couldn't locate the inner pack. Since I'd never used one, I didn't know if it was a capsule, or what I was trying to feel for. Now that I know it's a very flat plastic bag within a very flat outter bag, that might help me locate the next one. But as big as it was, I must have struck it a dozen times and it never broke.

Learning curve, I suppose.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by xscotto
But as big as it was, I must have struck it a dozen times and it never broke.

it's a slippery little bastard

[voodoo]

Again, you can REALLY beat that outer bag without it breaking. Don't be "gentle" with it. Show it who's boss!! I beat the crap out of it by hitting it HARD about 15-20 times (10 second flurry of abuse), and I've never had any problems.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by voodoo
10 second flurry of abuse

laughing aloud at mental pictures can gain you funny stares from around the office

[fretlessman71]

Maybe try working it to a corner of the mylar pack and beating that corner with a hammer or something (be NICE, now...).

[voodoo]

Originally posted by HogieWan
laughing aloud at mental pictures can gain you funny stares from around the office


There has been more times than I can count on 2 hands where I've belly laughed out loud at work, while reading these posts.



P.S. (That's more than “10” for you non-mathematicians or finger amputees)

[xscotto]

Okay- it's been nearly 48 hours since I added my yeast (from a smack pack with an unbroken inner pack) to the wort and still no sign of life. Is it time to get worried yet? I'm gonna bump the temp up to about 72 degrees...

[HogieWan]

what kind of airlock do you have?

[xscotto]

A plastic ultra cheapo like this:

http://www.atowncomics.com/images/airlock2.jpg

I should add that I've been between 68 and 70 degrees so far.

[HogieWan]

those are good airlocks - I love em

is the middle piece forced up to the top or still sittling on the bottom piece?

[xscotto]

I just ran out to check it again, and the beer gods smiled upon me. It gurgled. It was small, and thirty seconds later, another gurgle. There is life! (insert scene from Young Frankenstein here.)

I'm pretty used to the air lock going nuts in about 15 hours after closing the lid. I use a yeast stimulator that usually provides VIOLENT and fast fermentation. I'm not sure if it was the yeast or the temperature, but 48 hours of scilence was pretty scary.

It's a Northern English Brown ale which I expect to be similar to Newcastle. I was afraid it would become yard fertilizer...

[HogieWan]

whay kind of yeast stimulator are you using?

[xscotto]

It's the "yeast fuel" sold by Austin Homebrew Supply:

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=2420


Since I started using it the fermentation has been a lot faster and more aggresive. I don't know if that really translates to better beer, or just faster beer. I'm hoping that it gives the yeast the extra kick it needs to finish eating off all the sugars. I don't know if that really happens, but for 99 cents it's worth a shot.

[fretlessman71]

Faster fermentation = better beer. Less time for the nasty wild yeastybeasties to get ahold of all that malty worty goodness. :)

[HogieWan]

I've been using servomyces with great sucess. Not only does it keep the nasties from getting started, but healthy yeast don't make as much byproducts during fermentation, so there's less conditioning time as well.