One yeast sachet or two?

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heshtek

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I want to get the brew listed in the link below going in the fermenter tonight. The recipe states that I may have to use 2 yeast sachets instead of 1. Problem is I only have 1 and can't make it to the store for another week. Do you think 1 sachet would be ok? The beer this recipe makes is only 6% so hopefully it would be ok to use just 1.

http://coopers.com.au/#/diy-beer/beer-recipes/strong/detail/authentic-ipa/

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds to this forum post.
 
It is better to use 2 if you can get a second pack, but one should do the trick. Where in melbourne are you? Might be worth popping by a brew store to pick up some yeast (i.e. 2 packs of fermentis US 05 or a second coopers) if you get the chance. The right amount of yeast, and yeast in good health are two very important aspects of brewing.

If you desperately want to brew tonight and can't go via the shop, then you will get away with one, but I'd go with 2 if you can.

JD
 
You really do need two for that IPA. Otherwise, leave out the dex and it *might* be just enough. You'll need 13g of dry yeast according to mr malty. Depends how much yeast is in a coopers sachet these days.
 
The recipe doesn't have a starting gravity.... Being a 6% beer I would have to think it's going to be somewhere around 1.050-1.060 so one packet of dried yeast might do it. It will be under pitched and may cause some strange flavours.
You could make a starter and pitch some more yeast into the fermenter. I have done this without a stir plate and it worked very well in a Belgian Triple. Have a google and see what you can do.
 
We talking 1 x 7g pack of kit yeast or 1 x 11.5g pack of uso5 or similar?
 
manticle said:
We talking 1 x 7g pack of kit yeast or 1 x 11.5g pack of uso5 or similar?
I'm talking the pack that you get with the kit so I suppose that is 7g. I might go to the supermarket and buy a can of coopers original and use the yeast from that for the 2nd sachet. Then when I have time go to the brew store and buy some yeast for the coopers original kit.
 
Definitely 2. When you go to the brew store, see if they have a few packs of Safale US05 in the fridge.
 
If you have any dry malt extract on hand you could try making a simple starter, or if the LHBS is hard to get to you could also buy a 6 pack of Coopers PA, drink it and use the yeast from there.
 
Grab a cup of 35-40degree hot (preboiled) water.
Tip your dry yeast on top.
Don't stir.
Cover with foil.
Come back in 30 minutes, stir well, throw in contents of cup.

Will greatly increase (Well probably more accurately prevent a decrease) in the number of viable little yeasties you've got.


For future, ditch the lid-yeast, you can make much better beer by spending just a few more dollars on a good dry yeasts.
 
If you hold back the 500gr of dextrose and pitch the single pack as you would for an ordinary K & K kit and then when it is into its third day of fermenrtarion and has good activity then dissolve your dextrose in clean boiled water, cool it down to the fermentation temperature and then add that into your brew.
Doing that may give the underpitched volume of yeast a chance to build some numbers before it stars work on the extra sugars.

As all the others have said, two packs of yeast is the correct pitch rate if the pack is 7 gramms.
 
manticle said:
Definitely 2. When you go to the brew store, see if they have a few packs of Safale US05 in the fridge.
Just a noob question but what's the difference if in the fridge or not my lastest one I bought wasn't..? Was on the shelf. Also first time I'm using it normally just use the kit supply packets but changing it up don't no of there will be a difference. Thanks for info.!
 
If you are using the yeast that came with the can of Ipa

buy another IPA from Woolies and away you

when you go to use the can IPA in the same recipe and get some yeast of choose then
 
Just a noob question but what's the difference if in the fridge or not my lastest one I bought wasn't..? Was on the shelf. Also first time I'm using it normally just use the kit supply packets but changing it up don't no of there will be a difference. Thanks for info.!
More cells will be viable if the yeast is kept cool/cold. It's a living organism and the more cells that die, the less there is to ferment the beer. Not having enough cells in a beer can lead to stressed yeast which impart bad flavours.
 
Oh right wow thankyou that's interesting is that also why alot more is provided eg in us-05 that in the kit itself to accommodate that.? First brew is down now black rock Ipa etc etc wit the us-o5 trying to see what diff yeast really does. If its worth it dnt mind spending more on yeast an scrap thé supplied if it's gonna make a great difference.
 
Wow thanks for all the replies. I bought a can of coopers real ale from the supermarket on the way home and I'm going to use that for the 2nd sachet. In the future I'll buy some better yeast from the brew shop and pitch that instead. Hopefully the real ale yeast is the same as the IPA yeast.
 
I think most though not all of the Coopers yeasts are the same general strain - which they use because it is a bit of an all rounder and can work in warmer temp ranges.

There is a list of which yeasts are in which kits on the Coopers site and probably on here too, though you are definitely better with something else next time. If you do your best to control the temp to be as steady and close to 18C as possible, you will be fine.
 

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