Wyeast Activator Pack Consistency

[big d]

im on my third wyeast activator pack.the pack blurb says activates in three hours.this has only occured on the first pack.has anyone else come across slow activator packs?
this third one has shut down saturdays brewday so im in limbo till it kicks in.not a good start to 05 brew aspirations.

cheers
big d

 

[Linz]

Whats the packaging date(mm/yy)?; and give it a day for every month from its pack date(irrespective of the usual "but its been kept cold all the time" thingo) when you break the bubble.
Ive had one that was packed the month I used it, and it still took 24hrs before it started to go, and a day till it puffed fully

 

[big d]

hi linz
latest one dec 04 british cask ale yeast.just thought it would swell up a bit/lot quicker than it is showing.

cheers
big d

 

[Linz]

When did you"activate" it?

 

[jgriffin]

I find liquid yeasts can be vey variable. I've had some that have jsut gone balistic as soon as pitched into a starter, and others that take a couple of days. Remember they all come from the US, then get distributed in Oz. All it takes is a courier somewhere along the way to delay a day, and it gets to sit in australias lovely heat for a while.

 

[big d]

about 9 hours ago linz.
very valid point jgriff

 

[JasonY]

I have had similar experiences bigd, however I do think they are better than the old ones. Some are ready to explode in 1.5hrs while others don't look like much is going on after 9hrs.

I have pitched some of the slow ones straight into the fermenter and while it was a little slow to kick off they always came thorugh with the goods (esp the Hefeweizen one!).

 

[Linz]

give it the overnight at least...



its somewhere warm?.......oh yeah NT!!!! always warm!!

 

[bonk]

hey Big D,

yeah i had some trouble with the 3-hour thing. i had no choice but to pitch and pray

so i give up and make a starter -- as always.

 

[Jovial_Monk]

I have pitched both Activator Packs and the small 50ml packs straight into a beer (sudden chance to brew and no starter or time to make a starter) and have had the beer attenuate OK. Mind you, I then aerate the fermenting wort twice a day for the next 3 days by sloshing from fermenter to bucket and back.

Given the chance I like to let the Activater Pack swell and even make a starter.

Jovial Monk

 

[Doc]

big d,

If it looks like it is even starting to swell you could still brew.
If you santisation is alright on your fermenter, leave it overnight and pitch the yeast tomorrow when there is action.

Beers,
Doc

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

big d,

If it looks like it is even starting to swell you could still brew.
If you santisation is alright on your fermenter, leave it overnight and pitch the yeast tomorrow when there is action.

Beers,
Doc

I agree with what Doc is advocating here.
My usual practice now is to pitch yeast 12 -24hrs after brewing.
This time period allows me to do several things:

a) wort comes down to temp in fermenting fridge
B) aerate again just b4 pitching
c) remove beer off of hop pellets and cold break that has gone into the fermenter

Hope it goes OK big d.

C&B
TDA

 

[big d]

thanks for the great help guys.
the pack swelled overnight and its now pitched into a starter so im a few days off my schedule so will brew with a vengence early tomorrow.
ive still 12 days of holidays left so im going to brew as much as possible over this time.

cheers
big d