Anyone Had Dodgy Wyeast?

[beerDingo]

Hey,

I'm new to liquid yeast's. I have used a 3068 wyeast before, and from memory, when I opened the packet, it smelled quite nice. ie., it had a sweet bananary smell. However, I just got another one (from same supplier), and it smells bad. I am making a starter now, and will check what that smells/taste's like, but am worried by the inital smell that the yeast gave off.

So, I was just wondering if anyone else has had problems with dodgy smelling wyeast packets?

regards
Dingo

 

[hughman666]

i had a dodgy 3068 last year

Hey,

I'm new to liquid yeast's. I have used a 3068 wyeast before, and from memory, when I opened the packet, it smelled quite nice. ie., it had a sweet bananary smell. However, I just got another one (from same supplier), and it smells bad. I am making a starter now, and will check what that smells/taste's like, but am worried by the inital smell that the yeast gave off.

So, I was just wondering if anyone else has had problems with dodgy smelling wyeast packets?

regards
Dingo

 

[Ross]

Hey,

I'm new to liquid yeast's. I have used a 3068 wyeast before, and from memory, when I opened the packet, it smelled quite nice. ie., it had a sweet bananary smell. However, I just got another one (from same supplier), and it smells bad. I am making a starter now, and will check what that smells/taste's like, but am worried by the inital smell that the yeast gave off.

So, I was just wondering if anyone else has had problems with dodgy smelling wyeast packets?

regards
Dingo

Yeasts can often smell funky - If the yeast has only just been opened you can be pretty well 100% sure that it's fine.

Cheers Ross

 

[Screwtop]

I had two or three crook pack of this yeast in 2006, G&G replaced them, they all stopped high and I could not get them to restart, had to add some dried yeast to finish them out IIRC. No worries with further supplies. Can't say there was any off smell to the yeast, one even stopped on the stirplate at around 1.030 IIRC.

Screwy

 

[Supra-Jim]

Sometimes they do smell a bit strong, but if the pack swelled, then the yeast is alive and kicking. Make your starter, and be sure to taste it before you pitch.

It is more likely that a dodgy pack will be dead yeast than infected, and this would be due to a handling/storage issue.

Cheers SJ

 

[Bribie G]

The only problems I have had with Wyeasts are one pack that arrived 'puffed' presumably due to a leaking widget, and another one that refused to smack and I had to cut the widget open. However no problems with the yeasts in the packs. Some of them pour out looking like yeast should, some dribble out of the pack like runny dark coffee grounds but they have all worked.

 

[beerDingo]

Well, it took slightly longer to start swelling than other packs, but was fully swelled within 24hrs.

But it was the smell that I was worried about. Last time I got one of these I was surprised to find that it smelled nice. But not this time, it smelled horrid.

Thanks for the info all! I'll check how the starter turns out, and go from there.

 

[beerDingo]

Hmmm, checked the starter last night, and I'm not too confident. I'm thinking I might just use dry yeast, and bottle the current starter. Then I will get another packet of the same liquid, and if it smells the same, then I will have 2 starters, otherwise if it smells drastically different, then I will chuck the current one.

Just a bit worried about losing 40 litres, especially since I have nothing on tap atm.

What dry yeast do people reckon I should use for a hoegaarden clone? Should I just ask for a wheat yeast?

 

[gap]

What dry yeast do people reckon I should use for a hoegaarden clone? Should I just ask for a wheat yeast?

3068 would not have produced a Hoegaarden clone .

You wont find a dry yeast of similar qualities of the Wyeast Belgian Wit (Hoegaarden) liquid yeast.

3068 is a German Wheat Yeast .

 

[devo]

Yes I have but admittedly it was over 12 months old.

 

[Hutch]

3068 would not have produced a Hoegaarden clone .

You wont find a dry yeast of similar qualities of the Wyeast Belgian Wit (Hoegaarden) liquid yeast.

3068 is a German Wheat Yeast .

+1.

Not sure if there is a suitable Belgian Wit dry yeast substitute, however there are 2 good dry alternatives for German weizen - Saf WB-06 and Danstar Munich Wheat.

 

[beerDingo]

3068 would not have produced a Hoegaarden clone .

I figured I didn't have the correct liquid, but had tried 3068 before, and wanted to try and get the banana flavours from it.

What would you suggest if I was to actually try and clone it?

 

[3GumsBrewing]

Nope, but it can't be as bad as this yeast - LINKY



DK

 

[bear09]

YES - I have had issues with the British Ale 2 - twice now.

Starter comes up a treat. Fermentation for the first 48 hours a treat. but then... my beer turns to custard/dam water as the yeast grows out of control. 3 inches of yeast trub and custard for beer. It does my head in.

Beer tastes very very yeasty and is as cloudy as the UK sky in winter. Im so pissed off with this yeast ill never use it again.

 

[Ross]

I figured I didn't have the correct liquid, but had tried 3068 before, and wanted to try and get the banana flavours from it.

What would you suggest if I was to actually try and clone it?

The best dried yeat to use IMO is German Ale (AKA K-97), it makes a great wit.

Cheers Ross

 

[drtomc]

The best dried yeat to use IMO is German Ale (AKA K-97), it makes a great wit.

+1 K-97

Untill I went BIAB, my house beer was Wheat Kit + Wheat extract + <random hops> + K-97. Several mates told me I should go into business. Probably says more about megaswill than it does about my beer.

T.

 

[bconnery]

The best dried yeat to use IMO is German Ale (AKA K-97), it makes a great wit.

Cheers Ross

I agree with this, but with what I consider an important caveat.
In my opinion the base beer needs to be a 'proper' traditional wit with a something close to 50/50 raw wheat / pilsner, or at least a good proportion of raw wheat in some form, and then the coriander and orange peel additions as well.

This sounds obvious but I've seen many recipes out there with a large portion of malted wheat, as well as confusions over a wit vs a 'wheat', and believe that use of a belgian wit yeast in liquid form helps to sometimes mask the use of less traditional ingredients in the base beer.

When you have those though k97 will work well.
We had two beers in Babbs that were both wits based on the same original recipe, with minor alterations, one using k97 and the other something else (I think it was a white labs liquid from memory) and they both scored consistently highly in comps.
The liquid yeast one I'm fairly certain generally had the edge, but the k97 one was an excellent wit.
I also wouldn't say that the beers were identical in base, just very similar, so this point isn't intended to say a liquid is superior, just that you can make an excellent wit with K97.

 

[technocat]

Yes Wyeast is a PITA if you leave them in the fridge to long