Wyeast Whitbread 1099 doing nothing

[Julez]

Hi guys,

I brewed an AG batch yesterday which went like clockwork. Smacked my Wyest pack (Whitbread 1099) about two hours before the end of my brew. Didn't swell. Put the fermenter in the fermenting fridge, but thought I'd leave the yeast in the smack pack to see if it would swell. A couple more hours and still nothing. Decided to pitch anyway, in the hope that things might start up with a nice big batch of sweet wort, but 24 hours later and still no airlock action and OG is unchanged. The yeast manufacture date was September 13, and I've never had a problem using smack packs in the past. I've read that some of the English strains can be a bit reluctant to get up and go, so I have roused the yeast a couple of times already in the last 24 hours, but nothing going on. I've got a pack of Safale S-04, I'm wondering if I should be pitching that around now, or is there anything else I can do to get the 1099 to magically get going?

Cheers :icon_cheers:

 

[yum beer]

I'd be throwing the S-04 at it.
Certainly wouldn't have pitched a smack pack that did not swell at least a little, probably needed to be stepped up.
The 1099 will probably get to the job sooner or later but I'd be helping it out.

 

[mje1980]

Whitbreads usually a reliable performer. I would've made a starter but it's usually a strong fast fermentor. Shame to have to use s04 when you wanted whitbread.

What was the og ?

 

[Julez]

Thanks gents. OG was 1046. Wort was crash chilled through a plate chiller and aerated by the shake the hell out of it in a cube before transfer to fermenter method. Not sure what's happened to my yeasties. Might give it till morning and pitche the S04 if nothing doing then. Don't want to leave things too long though, hopefully things won't go pear-shaped if I leave it that long...

Cheers.

 

[black_labb]

I'm assuming you are experienced enough to know to use the hydrometer to check for fermentation?

 

[Yob]

Smack prior to brewday, if it doesn't swell you know to cube and get a starter going.

 

[Dunkelbrau]

The older the pack, the longer it takes to swell.. Usually I'll smack a few days before and it gives opportunity for starters (even if it's just a shake every so often in a bottle..) if the pack doesn't swell

Also, leave it more than 24 hours.. If the yeast was in bad shape it might be a longer lag phase. I'd give it till pitching time today (48 ish hours).

What was the date on the packet?

 

[Yob]

What was the date on the packet?

The yeast manufacture date was September 13,

 

[Julez]

Thanks all. Yeast management is the one part of my process in which I have practised extreme slackness. I've never had this issue before, probably due to luck. Looks like I may have to be a little more prepared for future brews.

Cheers.

 

[Dunkelbrau]

Haha thanks! I re read it three times looking for it haha