So I received my wyeast the other day, and if was sort of inflated. If was well packaged so I am not sure what happened. Does anyone have any experience with this and the yeast be fine/dead?
Also, would a quart jar be big enough for a starter to really make sure the yeast us okay?
Jacob
It’s probably OK. I think a quart jar will be small, I use a 3 liter wine bottle.
I got one like that last time, it was the first Wyeast I have ever gotten. It was a little hard to find the inner pouch and pop/Smack it, but it worked just fine.
I have never had a bad Wyeast smack pack. I get mine, when I need one, 10 miles from me at my LHBS. Seems 1056 is the worst for being slightly expanded. Simply lay the bottom over a counter edge and squeeze the yeast liquid toward the bottom while sliding the package over the counter at the same time and you will find the nutrient pack at the top to smack. You will want at least a 2 quart jar for your starter. You didn’t mention the yeast package date printed on the front of the smack pack but I am quite sure there is nothing wrong with it.
That is often the case. The yeast has produced some co2 since packaging. You can find a response to this on Wyeast’s website. It is OK. If you cannot pop the inner pack you are still OK, especially if you make a starter. The inner pack is a nutrient that feeds the yeast and gives them a bit of a headstart for pitching.
I had one that came so inflated that I could not break the inner pack. I made a starter, poured in the yeast then fished out the nutrient pack and opened it and added it to the starter also. The wort was fermenting aggressively by morning.
Breaking the smackpack is one of the best parts of brewing, but the yeast should be fine.
Thanks for the responses. Everyone has succeeded in easing my mind. I am pretty sure the nutrient lack is still intact, so I will smack and pitch since I can’t really do a starter well in a quart jar.
I would think a starter in a quart jar would be better than no starter at all. At least it could wake the guys up and have them a little more ready to reproduce. What was the gravity of the beer you are brewing?
a 1L/1qt starter on a stir plate will pretty much double your yeast.
Starting gravity won’t be more 1.044 unless I really do something weird and uncalled for. If I were to try a starter in a quart jar, how much corn sugar to wager would you all suggest-this would be my first starter attempt.
Water-not wager
Zero. Don’t make starters with sugar, use wort - you don’t want the yeast to get the wrong first impression.
For a 1.044 beer, I wouldn’t even bother with a starter. Just pitch it.
Ah so…I think I will not worry about a starter since I am not quite prepared. That’s ok though-that just means that I get to purchase some yeasty goodies.
And probably do some more reading
