Irish Red extract kit

Northern Brewer General
1

I have a Irish Red extract kit from NB.

I put it in my basement for a couple of months along with the Wyeast smack pack.

I noticed 2 things that are potentially wrong.

  1. My wyeast packet has been expanded, and must’ve been smacked somehow along the the way.
    can I still use it? How should I store until I brew?
  2. My specialty grains packet has in marker someone wrote IPA in black marker. I’m wondering if they gave me the wrong specialty grains for this kit?? Or is this correct for the Irish Red??

Thanks!!!

2

I am new to brewing this year, but I am going to hazard a guess that your yeast has likely had it, being a couple months old and stored in the basement. They keep all the yeasts refrigerated at the store, so I don’t think the basement is quite cool enough to keep them dormant that long. I am not even sure you could make a starter from yeast that old.

As for the grains, I would give NB a call and check.

3

Make a starter with the yeast, chances are its still alive but it probably needs to be revived and grown up to get enough live cells.

As for the specialty grains, its a little disconcerting but I think it will be fine. It might be that they’re using the same specialty grains for both kits. After all both of those beers are in the same general color category. Are you sure it doesn’t say IRA (Irish Red Ale)?

4

Just checked my Irish Red Ale kit and the bag looks like it says lR4. I’d chalk it up to a busy day of packing boxes and poor penmanship. I’d check the weight. If it matches the weight on the inventory that should be it. Without the the additional hops it won’t come out tasting like and IPA anyway. THe yeast should’ve been refrigerated. I’ve only been brewing for 7 months now and have a pack of yeast for a kit I ordered back in January (didn’t know anything about viability rates). Check with Mr.Malty.com and use the yeast calculator. It will tell you to make a starter, probably a large one at that. I am planning on making a small starter than pitching the yeast from that into a larger starter to ensure a healthy batch. Might be easier to pick up a fresh pack if the LHBS isn’t too far.

5

That was my first thought as activated, warm and in the basement is (to me) different than dormant a few months in the fridge.