Wyeast Smack Pack

[b_thomas]

Ok this may sound daft but what exactly am I searching for?

Is the internal package a soft or hard one? I can't really feel anything aside from liquid.

How do I tell if it's swollen, should I be thinking a bag of microwave popcorn or is the swelling a little more subtle?

 

[newguy]

Straighten out your leg and feel your kneecap. Can you move it around a little (I can)? The nutrient pack inside the smackpack feels the same to me, just a little smaller.

 

[ausdb]

Ok this may sound daft but what exactly am I searching for?

Is the internal package a soft or hard one? I can't really feel anything aside from liquid.

How do I tell if it's swollen, should I be thinking a bag of microwave popcorn or is the swelling a little more subtle?

You are searching for a little sachet about 3cm x 5cm long, I find that if you lay the smak pak down on the kitchen bench and with one hand pull it over the edge and downwards whilst holding your other hand over the pak so that it slides under your hand you will trap the internal package on the top of the bench. Then with a flat palm smak it down to pop it. You will know when it is swelling as it will balloon right up if it is new and healthy

 

[Parrothead]

Sometimes the little "bag" inside is hard to find, but if you have given it a good whack, you'll soon have a visual evidence that you have indeed, "gotten it good". It is soft.

If the yeast pack is fresh, it will indeed end up like microwave popcorn. It's been my experience that the older the pack, the slower the CO2 build-up, and the less firm it will be.

Hope this helps.

 

[Jye]

The inside packet can be hard to feel so when ever I use a smack pack I just beat the crap out of the whole thing to make sure I got it.

The swelling is obvious and much like a popcorn packet in that you can tell something is blowing it up from the inside. The packed will also become tight like a blown up balloon.

 

[Josh]

It's a little bag inside the pouch. From memory it was really hard to break. Slippery little sucker, you gotta get in the corner and squeeze till it pops.

Are you brewing today? I'm at Orchard Hills and am contemplating an all grain session this arvo.

 

[b_thomas]

Thanks for the fast response, and you've all been an exception to the rule of "Ask 2 homebrewers a question and you get 4 answers".

I'll probably be doing my brew tomorrow morning (well popping the smack pack then to get a good head start) as I won't get home until late and the kitchen is a bit messy.