Wyeast Activator not swelling!

[far9410]

Ive had trouble with smack packs too, its ok to say leave it for longer, but if you smack it then start brewing you need a working yeast, I use white labs or dried from here on.

[zgoda]

I've been such victim once, inoculated 1.039 wort with fully swollen Activator 1028, 2 months after mfg date on package. Fermentation finally took off after 48 hrs, fortunately nothing bad happened but I got few more gray hairs. Since then I always wait until fully swollen and make starter, 1.5 ltr for ales and 2.5-3 ltr for lagers, stepping as necessary. This takes up to week and some planning ahead is required, but I never got any serious fermentation lags.

Now I have almost 18 months old packet of Belgian Stout yeast sitting in my fridge for more than a year. And I'm pretty sure it will ferment for me some few tasty beers.

[far9410]

I've been such victim once, inoculated 1.039 wort with fully swollen Activator 1028, 2 months after mfg date on package. Fermentation finally took off after 48 hrs, fortunately nothing bad happened but I got few more gray hairs. Since then I always wait until fully swollen and make starter, 1.5 ltr for ales and 2.5-3 ltr for lagers, stepping as necessary. This takes up to week and some planning ahead is required, but I never got any serious fermentation lags.

Now I have almost 18 months old packet of Belgian Stout yeast sitting in my fridge for more than a year. And I'm pretty sure it will ferment for me some few tasty beers.

You're right mate, but if they sell something that should work in a few hours, but you have to make a 48 hour starter, then it doesnt do what it says

[zgoda]

That's marketing, not a lie.

[far9410]

That's marketing, not a lie.

correct, but the point i'm failing to make is, if you plan a brew day around this then you are left with a possible failure

[Dunk]

I would advise smacking well in advance anyway. The smack packs are effectively small starters so sitting around fully inflated isn't going to do much harm to the number of viable cells.

I've had varying "lag" times for smack packs and a little patience is better than pitching yeast that isn't ready IMHO.

I any case, well boiled wort can sit around cold for a good while before you need to really worry. I regularly cool overnight for 24hrs with no probs.

[gregorach]

You're right mate, but if they sell something that should work in a few hours, but you have to make a 48 hour starter, then it doesnt do what it says

The problem, especially for those of us here in the UK, is that Wyeast have no control over how they're handled once they leave the lab. For all anybody knows, they've been sitting in a delivery office somewhere at 25 degrees over a bank holiday weekend.

[far9410]

You're right mate, but if they sell something that should work in a few hours, but you have to make a 48 hour starter, then it doesnt do what it says

The problem, especially for those of us here in the UK, is that Wyeast have no control over how they're handled once they leave the lab. For all anybody knows, they've been sitting in a delivery office somewhere at 25 degrees over a bank holiday weekend.

Right again, I suppose the same can be said of white labs, but we are mostly prepared to make a starter with that

[gregorach]

Ive had trouble with smack packs too, its ok to say leave it for longer, but if you smack it then start brewing you need a working yeast, I use white labs or dried from here on.

Thing is, at least with a smack pack you get to know how it's doing before it's time to pitch. If that White Labs vial doesn't go off as it should, you don't know about it until 24 - 48 hrs after you've pitched it, by which time it's too bloody late.

[Skittlebrau]

No fermentation yet. Finish work at 1300 tomorrow so if nothing by then will pitch dry yeast.

[guypettigrew]

My experience with smack packs has been awful. Seems there's two packs inside them which need to be broken open before anything happens.

Having lost two brews through the yeast not being activated I moved onto White Labs. One tube pitched directly into 5 gallons has never, ever failed me. I then harvest the yeast and store it in the 'fridge for future brews.

No starter with either the original or the harvested yeasts. Just get it out of the 'fridge about 4 hours before you want to pitch and all goes well.

Guy

[Skittlebrau]

Came back from work. No signs of fermentation after 48 hours at 19.5 C - nothing on the surface, no change in gravity. Pitched a packet of T-58. I've been wanting to experiment with T-58 for a while and with this beer not going to plan I thought it was the perfect opportunity. Let's see what we come up with!

[Normski]

Another option and one that I prefere is Brewlabs slants.
They cutivate your yeast especially for you, then you step it up and pitch it. It does take a bit of planning but well worth the effort.
I've used quite a few and all have stepped up well and fermented as expected.
I've also used the White Labs and would always step up to make sure its viable before starting a brewday.
The Wyeast smack packs look a bit gimmicky to me, and I've read other posts of failures.
Norm

[Skittlebrau]

It's annoying to say the least. Back when I last used a smack pack, I had another liquid yeast available which I had been using for a few batches and I knew to be excellent (Kelham Island yeast, need to get some more!). I also smacked 24 hours before brewday. The pack swelled really quickly but if it hadn't I would've known about it in plenty of time, used KI yeast for that brew and saved the Wyeast by culturing it up in a starter. I suppose I was just lucky last time.

[paulg]

I have wanted to try live yeast for a while but am reluctant because of living in greece and the post taking about 2 weeks to arrive fron UK.
Do brewlabs slants suffer in the same way as the vials do with getting too hot? I am thinking maybe this is a way to get different yeasts.
The only place here in greece that stocks live yeast only has a very small selection currently only wye yeast American ale yeast
I would like to get the equivalent of white labs 022 essex ale yeast (supposedly Ridleys strain ) which I believe brewlabs can supply
thanks Paul