Smack Pack Viability

[Hutch]

The sad thing is I made a great stir plate and have a 100ml, 1 litre and a 2 litre flask, its just that I dont like the associated rick of infection or off flavours by doing starters if I dont need to, that or thae fact I am just lazy

I don't quite understand - If you intend to smack a pack in order to pitch, then what's so unnecessary about making a starter at the same time?

There is FAR less infection risk in making a large starter (boiled then cooled in the same flask) than pitching a small cell-count directly from a smack-pack into your wort, and waiting a few days for high krausen.

...don't get me wrong - I'm pretty lazy too , but starters really are minimal effort once you already have a stir-plate and some flasks!

 

[SJW]

I know, I will just save 1 pet bottle of the North German Pilsner I am brewing tomorrow and re-boil that in a flask for a starter. If this stuff falls out a quick as everyone says I should be able to do it 2 days prior to brewing and just pour off the Pilsner prior to pitching.

Steve

 

[hoohaaman]

I have 8 smack packs from june 07 through to sept 08.Not at all worried about any,I'll smack most if I have time but if not make a starter.

I make a starter always, so smacking is a unnecessary measure for me.Old habits and all.

Have never had a wyeast pack fail to start,either smacking or after 4years at the back of a fridge.

Beers have always turned out just fine.

Well apart from the one pack that.........

 

[trevc]

Just a quick update: The 1L starter looked healthy enough, but still took over 2 days to show any activity in the fermenter. This seems like way too long... I was worried about infections/etc taking hold. The yeast batch could've been too old, who knows. Next time I'll be making a 2L+ starter for 2112, and making sure it's well and truly active.

Luckily the beer tastes great from the fermenter so far, all seems well. The steam beer with Pac Gem could be a real winner.

 

[jimi]

Just a quick update: The 1L starter looked healthy enough, but still took over 2 days to show any activity in the fermenter. This seems like way too long... I was worried about infections/etc taking hold. The yeast batch could've been too old, who knows. Next time I'll be making a 2L+ starter for 2112, and making sure it's well and truly active.

Luckily the beer tastes great from the fermenter so far, all seems well. The steam beer with Pac Gem could be a real winner.

My yeast, same as Trevs (2112, same manufactory date, same supplier) took just over 40hrs to show signs of starting (Krausen) in a 1ltr starter after a painfully long 8-9 day period to swell in the pack (I was worried). Since then its behaved pretty normally. It won't be too much longer till I keg the brew it did either.

 

[trevc]

Took a sample today. Started at 1.058, finished at 1.007... way stronger than intended. Luckily, the higher abv balanced perfectly with the bitterness of the Pac Gem... what a beer! I'm excited about it. Always nice to try a new style of beer that tastes great. This one might end up a regular brew.

Edit: forgot to correct for our warm temps. It should be about 6.5% abv, still way stronger than intended (not that I'm complaining, you can hardly taste it).

 

[rich_lamb]

I've had all sorts of different reactions from smack packs; but they all work ultimately. I agree with the comment that you can't be very sure of the viability with long use-by's and all that travel.
The wyeast guy at ANHC suggested the viability doesn't drop off all that fast with age, but who knows how it's been treated.

(I) ALWAYS make a starter. It's the only way you can get a fresh population of known size with good viability.

Like they said- "if in doubt...". Unless you carried it from the US yourself there is doubt.

Oh and Jimi - you might want to do a bit of reading on yeast metabolism cycles. Fix is a good reference, but there are many. Understanding how they work is the key.