Too Fat To Smack

[jpiwek]

Hi, I got some wyeast a couple of weeks ago and one of them (the Saison) arrived a bit under half swelled up. I left it at the back of the fridge hoping it would un swell or something. Well I got it out this morning and it was still puffed up making it impossible to 'Smack the Pac'

Well Im just going to make up this starter now and break the pac with some scissors or dose anyone have any better ideas?

its just yeast nutrient in the sac right?

Cheers!

 

[Screwtop]

Hi, I got some wyeast a couple of weeks ago and one of them (the Saison) arrived a bit under half swelled up. I left it at the back of the fridge hoping it would un swell or something. Well I got it out this morning and it was still puffed up making it impossible to 'Smack the Pac'

Well Im just going to make up this starter now and break the pac with some scissors or dose anyone have any better ideas?

its just yeast nutrient in the sac right?

Cheers!

The inner has been ruptured, has happened to me before, call the supplier and complain, bad packaging. Really they should be packed to resist impact, they are a smack pack after all. Look on the Wyeast site Q&A's, Wyeast say if you've smacked the yeast and are not ready to pitch, place it in the refrigerator it will hold for a while. I'd make a starter to raise the viability.

Screwy

 

[jpiwek]

The inner has been ruptured, has happened to me before, call the supplier and complain, bad packaging. Really they should be packed to resist impact, they are a smack pack after all. Look on the Wyeast site Q&A's, Wyeast say if you've smacked the yeast and are not ready to pitch, place it in the refrigerator it will hold for a while. I'd make a starter to raise the viability.

Screwy

I'll be on the lookout with my next order.

I dont understand how this little pac can some how 'trigger' the fermentation of the yeast and cause it to swell? it must contain fermentables in it?...

 

[Yeasty]

THe idea is that there is a double packet...

Yeast in a pack, inside a pack stored with yeast nutrients. U smack the pack to burst the inner pack and it mixes the yeast and nutrients to start the yeast going...But obviously the inner yeast has been smacked during postage.

 

[goatherder]

I'll be on the lookout with my next order.

I dont understand how this little pac can some how 'trigger' the fermentation of the yeast and cause it to swell? it must contain fermentables in it?...

That's exactly how it works. There is a little bag of fermentables (and nutrient) inside the main pack which, when smacked, bursts and kickstarts the yeast.

 

[Sammus]

The inner pack probably hasn't ruptured. I got this exact yeast a little while ago (was a bit old) and apparently is very common with the Saison. The yeast had got a bit ansi in there or something and the pack had half swelled, making smacking the bubble near impossible. If you shake it to one of the top corners you should be able to feel that the bubble is still intact. I just tipped the yeast into my starter, then cut the nutrient bubble and tipped that in as well. It was a year old and still went off like a rocket.

Seems to have happened with my flying dog ale as well, which is about 9 months old now.

 

[newguy]

As has been suggested, cut the pack open and make a starter. If possible, step up the starter a few times prior to using it. I've had a number of packs prematurely swell on me, beginning about 3 years ago. I've heard that it isn't a problem with the packs being handled roughly in transit, rather it's a production problem which lies with wyeast. For what it's worth, all the packs that have prematurely swelled for me did actually have the inner bubble intact. I heard that wyeast was packaging yeast before it was completely done fermenting, and that that was the cause of the problem.

When you do make a starter, cut the pack completely open just to see whether the inner package is ruptured or not. I'll bet it's not, in which case make sure you direct your complaints to wyeast.

Hope this helps.

 

[///]

The inner has been ruptured, has happened to me before, call the supplier and complain, bad packaging. Really they should be packed to resist impact, they are a smack pack after all. Look on the Wyeast site Q&A's, Wyeast say if you've smacked the yeast and are not ready to pitch, place it in the refrigerator it will hold for a while. I'd make a starter to raise the viability.

Screwy

Well, i would not be too quick to jump to conclusions about the packaging. Different yeasts behave different ways and the Saison yeast is one from experience that may not go to sleep like asked from experience, it is a pretty fiery yeast. Its like a small child, just when you turn your back....

The smack pack is meant to metabolise the yeast getting it ready for the journey. At times some yeast regardless of the yeast type still keeps on ticking after packed at Wyeast. Of the several thousand we have imported over the years this has happened a couple of times and it is usually the wheat or Belgium-ie varieties. Also over time the yeast may still work swelling the pack regardless of the handling, a 3 year old wheat yeast I have in the fridge has puffed up over time.

This may happen without the pack being ruptured. So quick assumptions aside, how was the package sent, how was it handled in transit and how was it stored. These questions and more will help with the answer of why the pack has swelled. With the onset of summer we never ship past Wednesday as we do not like our mates sitting in a tin shed over the weekend getting all hot and bothered.

But this is not a bad sign, quite the contrary. By the pack swelling you have some viable yeast there and you can either leave it till required and bump it up with a starter or use it as soon as you can (starter would be preferred if it has sat a while). Storing in the fridge is fine. The general rule for slurry under cold storage for viability is that 2 weeks after peak condition approx 25% of the cells will be dormant, 2 weeks after that another 25% drop off etc etc. Hence the self contained nutrient pack which allows the dormant yeast to wake up and get dressed for work so to speak....

Scotty

 

[Screwtop]

Well, i would not be too quick to jump to conclusions about the packaging.

When you open it all will be revealed, the Saison is most likely not as predictable in it's behaviour so the problem could be as explained above.

Received three smack packs all together with a layer of bubble wrap taped around the three in a plastic post bag (not padded). Only one, a 2565 had been popped, it was one of the outside packs. The inner had burst, likely something had been dropped on the package during transit, replaced no questions asked by the great folks at G&G. Sent the replacement wrapped a little better. Happy with the service, AP do get a little rough at times.

Screwy

 

[clay]

I've also had a couple of packs swell without being smacked. Just cut both packets and mixed into a small starter and stepped up - no problems.

I've actually got a pack of 3056 Bavarian Weizen dated Nov '05 in the frige right now thats a bit swollen. Any thought as to whether this will be any good?

 

[newguy]

I've actually got a pack of 3056 Bavarian Weizen dated Nov '05 in the frige right now thats a bit swollen. Any thought as to whether this will be any good?

It should be fine. The oldest pack I've ever used was 5 years old, and I know of someone else who once used a 6 year old pack. No problems with either one. I presently have a 1007 German Ale pack that was a wee bit swelled when I smacked it 2 days ago. It was manufactured in July 2004. It's swelling just fine.

 

[Keith the Beer Guy]

Hi, I got some wyeast a couple of weeks ago and one of them (the Saison) arrived a bit under half swelled up. I left it at the back of the fridge hoping it would un swell or something. Well I got it out this morning and it was still puffed up making it impossible to 'Smack the Pac'

Well Im just going to make up this starter now and break the pac with some scissors or dose anyone have any better ideas?

its just yeast nutrient in the sac right?

Cheers!

Hi Hefferflocken (and with a yeast question and all ),

I just re-read the replies given to your question and it looks like the information is all there, but to make it short and sharp.

The smack packs containing Saison yeasties are prone to swelling. This is because the Saison yeast produces CO₂ for much longer than most other strains. Another strain that also does this is the Belgian Strong ale yeast. These packs are still OK to use.

I am sure you will discover that all is hunkey dorey. I'd love to see you post about how it turns out.

Happy Fermenting,

Keith

 

[warra48]

FWIW, and contrary to what seems to be the general impression from this thread, the yeast is in fact in the outer part of the pack, and the inner pack contains yeast nutrient. Not that it changes the outcome.