Smack Pack Question

I normally prefer making a starter using any kind of liquid yeast.
If you are planning on pitching straight in, I would say that if it is at room temp, smack about the time you start brewing will be plenty.
if kept in the fridge, an extra hour or 2 should do it.
In either case, leave it on the counter will be perfect for the yeast to wake up and get ready to work.

 

Here's a pretty good step-by-step:
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-5.html
You'll find the age of your yeast will affect how quickly it responds (look for date on top of packet).

Regarding starters, there are three type brewers who regularly post here:

1. I always make a starter(s) to pitch the recommended number of cells determined by a yeast calculator . . . and my beer tastes great!
2. I always make a (fill in blank) size starter . . . and my beer tastes great!
3. Who needs a starter? My beer tastes great!

 

I have used wyeast 2 times and the second time I popped the starter pack 6 hrs before and it was fine

 

All smacking the smackpack does is tell you if there are live yeast in it. The inner pack contains a very small amount f food. It doesn't really "start" anything in any way meaningful to your fermentation. When I use Wyeast strains, I don't bother smacking. Though I do make appropriate sized starters.

 

Wyeast labels the Smack Pack with “Activator”.

Smacking the inner package of nutrient does not result in much yeast cell growth but it does indeed ‘wake up’ the yeast and this will result in a reduced lag time.

Below are some FAQs from the Wyeast website:

“3. Can I use an Activator package without activating it and waiting for it to swell? ?
Yes. An Activator pack has enough yeast in it to pitch 5 gallons whether it is activated or not. There will only be a slightly longer lag time if the package is not activated before use. In any case, the nutrient pack should be popped before using because it contains valuable nutrients. Typically, the Activator can be activated when you start your brew and will be swollen by the time your wort is cool.”

“4. Does the package need to be fully swollen before pitching?
No, The package can be pitched before activating, or at anytime during the activation process. The activation process "jump starts" the culture's metabolism, minimizing the lag phase.”


“5. Does the cell count increase when the package is activated?
The cell count does not increase significantly when the package is activated.. The smack-pack is not designed to dramatically increase the cell count, it simply “activates” the yeast metabolism. “

Cheers!

 

I smack the pack right as I'm turning the heat on to mash in and by the time I'm finished, the pack is ready to go. I keep it near the heat source as to increase the temp on those guys slightly, and I will shake the pack a few times while I'm brewing to make sure the yeasties are agitated and ready to tear through some wort and grow exponentially when I pitch them. Never had any problems with these procedures.

I belong to #3...been using liquid yeast for years and years without a starter, probably 100 batches with liquid yeast in that time, and I always hit my FG in the expected amount of time with no off flavors. As a biologist, I understand the concept of using starters and the theories behind it, but my personal evidence has never led me to think there is a significant difference between using a starter and not using a starter, except possibly in a slightly reduced lag time.

 

How much does it reduce lag time? Has anyone, Wyeast or otherwise, ever tested this? Either in terms of measuring lag time, or better yet, in terms of impact on the flavor of the beer produced? The FAQ information quoted sounds like salesman-in-a-lab-coat speak to me.

Here's a thought...if there were some true advantage, then these forums should be sprinkled with anecdotes from people about how their beers usually seem to come out better when using Wyeast strains ("jump started") vs. White Labs (not "jump started") equivalent strains, and I don't see that.

 

Dont you need a starter if you use dry yeast? Noob question i know, but if i dont ask i wont learn.
And if im working with smaller batches? Like 2.5 gallons.?

 

You can rehydrate dry yeast before you pitch it, no need to try to make a starter out of it.

 

no. in fact adding dry yeast to a starter will only set you back. the yeast is packaged with sufficient reserves to get going after being pitched. adding dry yeast to a starter will increase cell count, but it will also result in increased lag time after pitching vs. rehydrated dry yeast.

if you need more cells, simply pitch two packages. plus it costs less than making a starter. and the risk of infection is reduced. and it's simple.

you should rehydrate dry yeast though. opinions vary, but rehydrating dry yeast results in an increase of viable yeast. simple to do too.
Cheers.

 

Excellent. Tx

 

Wait. Im confused now. Does this means that i can only male starter with liquid yeast and not dry yeast?

For example, i read those packages has enough yeast for a 2.5 gallon batch but maybe a 5 gallons will need a starter or at least 2 packages. Im confused

Because the packages says its enough for a 5 gallon batch, but pitching from the flask? Or making a starter and then pitching? Or starters are for higher volume batches?

 

It is good practice to make a starter with liquid yeasts or harvested yeasts from previous batches if they have been refrigerated. Dry yeast typically doesn't need a starter and, depending who you ask, doesn't need to be rehydrated, or does.

To be honest I used wyeast for years with no starter and almost all of my beers are above 7% and attenuate fully, and taste great. Starters can reduce lag time and such, but I think proper aeration of wort, stable fermentation temps, etc. does more for yeast viability than a starter.

 

These two articles will shed a lot of light on the subject.

IMO, the yeast industry is reluctant to publish a lot of details on the optimum procedures for pitch rates, viability, and they act like they are afraid to tell you the many details involved. As I posted above . . . brewers go about this in different ways, yet they all seem to make great beers (at least the ones who post). Brew a lot and you'll figure out what works best for you.

 

I made a starter on Saturday without smacking the packet. I pitched a liter of starter on Sunday with great results. I got a strong fermentation going in about 14 hours.

 

The packet has nutrients. Why waste the nutrients?

 

For me, it's because I add a known amount of nutrients to the wort (starter wort and beer wort). Why add some additional unknown amount? I might feel differently if Wyeast said that the nutrients in the smack pack are equal to "X" amount of Nutrient blend (or whatever).

 

They say the amount and type of nutrients are all you "need" for fermentation. I believe them.