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sgw86

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Hi All,

I have recently made the move from Extract to All-Grain thanks to Nicks 19L stovetop thread. I have only ever used dry yeast since I started brewing again a year ago. Normally brewing Pilsner, Lager and an Ale here and there I am thinking perhaps it's time to move from the w34/70, S-23 and US-05 to Wyeast as they seem to have a far greater range catering to different styles.

I have a few questions I am hoping can get answered.

1. Will Wyeast improve my Lagers/Pilsners/Ales? (Are they better than using Dry yeast?)
2. Currently I pitch 2 packets when brewing Lagers/Pilsners and 1 packet when brewing Ales. Will 1 Wyeast smack pack be enough for either Lagers/Pilsners and Ales?
3. I have always pitched my Dry yeast at between 22-24C and then brought the temp down to ferment temps over a few hours. Can I do the same with Wyeast smack packs?
4. What temperature does the room have to be to use the Wyeast smack packs. As it's still fairly cool in Melbourne the temp could be 15C inside.
5. I have seen examples of using the Wyeast smack packs, though how long do you generally leave the packet before opening and pouring into fermenter? and should I drop the wyeast packet into starsan before opening or spray the corner where I will cut?


Lots and lots of questions but I appreciate the feedback.

Thanks again.
 
1. yes
2. depends on your batch size. read the instructions on the wyeast website.
3. yes. read the instructions on the wyeast website.
4. depends on the yeast. read the instructions on the wyeast website.
5. read the instructions on the wyeast website.


(sorry for being a smart arse, im in that kind of mood :p )
 
Hi Sambo,

Some info from my experience...as always, you will get heaps of great responses on this one.

1. Will Wyeast improve my Lagers/Pilsners/Ales? (Are they better than using Dry yeast?)
Personally, I have had better results with the Wyeast...but maybe that's just because I have been getting better at brewing at the same time??

2. Currently I pitch 2 packets when brewing Lagers/Pilsners and 1 packet when brewing Ales. Will 1 Wyeast smack pack be enough for either Lagers/Pilsners and Ales?
Their website says that 1 activatory smack pack is enough for a normal gravity ale.
I started by pitching the smack pack straight into 1.056 ales and had pretty good fermentation, but it was sometimes a bit slow to kick off.
Now I make a 1L starter and it's a much better fermentation.
For lagers you will need more yeast, so a starter would be the go...but I don't brew many lagers, so others can comment.

3. I have always pitched my Dry yeast at between 22-24C and then brought the temp down to ferment temps over a few hours. Can I do the same with Wyeast smack packs?
You should try to pitch as close to fermentation temp as possible...18 or 19 for ales.
No need to start higher.
If you don't have fermentation temps under control, look at that first...it's the best thing you can do to improve your beer quality.

4. What temperature does the room have to be to use the Wyeast smack packs. As it's still fairly cool in Melbourne the temp could be 15C inside.
I usually get swelling within a couple of hours of smacking it at room temps in Melbourne...our place is usually around 18 or 20.

5. I have seen examples of using the Wyeast smack packs, though how long do you generally leave the packet before opening and pouring into fermenter? and should I drop the wyeast packet into starsan before opening or spray the corner where I will cut?
If you smack it first thing in the morning on brew day, you should have it ready to pitch that arvo/night...in my experience.
And yes, sanitise the pack and scissors...eliminate every risk of infection.

Good luck...
Jake.
 
Use Wyeast strains when you are not happy with the dry yeast's results.

Many, many brewers here are very happyt with USo5 in US Ales, and a lot are happy with S189 and 34/70 in Lagers. Some are even happy with S23, and AK47 (or that nasty Belgian yeast stuff :lol:).

But where you need to move to Wyeast, is when you want to make the World's Great Beers. The German wheats; the Belgian Abbey ales; the Pommy ales; the Irish porters; the German Kolsches ... et alia.

Don't use Wyeast because you think you need to. Use it because you have to.
 
:icon_offtopic: Sort of. I smacked a belgian wit on the weekend. It was more than a year old. Didn't take off immediately which I expected, I was planning a wit on sunday so smacked friday (did a lager on saturday). Didn't end up doing it on sunday , SO , after 5 days the sucker is now fully blown. What now?? How long can it stay fully blown before I have to use it??? Or did I just do 10 bucks?? Advice appreciated
cheers
BBB
 
BBB, you could always put it in a fridge and keep in cold intill you plan on using it. When you do use just be sure to make a decent start of course...
 
BBB, you could always put it in a fridge and keep in cold intill you plan on using it. When you do use just be sure to make a decent start of course...
Thanks Jace - I thought of doing that but am unsure of getting the yeasties all excited (smacking excites us all) then putting them back on ice and asking them to to it all over again.....
cheers
BBB
 
Use Wyeast strains when you are not happy with the dry yeast's results.

Many, many brewers here are very happyt with USo5 in US Ales, and a lot are happy with S189 and 34/70 in Lagers. Some are even happy with S23, and AK47 (or that nasty Belgian yeast stuff :lol:).

But where you need to move to Wyeast, is when you want to make the World's Great Beers. The German wheats; the Belgian Abbey ales; the Pommy ales; the Irish porters; the German Kolsches ... et alia.

Don't use Wyeast because you think you need to. Use it because you have to.

Nick,

Thank you. I guess another thing to try would be brewing identical beers (say the Czech Pils that I do) and comparing side by side with the different yeasts.

Thanks to all for posting, some very helpful information.

Greatly appreciated.
 
Hi All,

I have recently made the move from Extract to All-Grain thanks to Nicks 19L stovetop thread. I have only ever used dry yeast since I started brewing again a year ago. Normally brewing Pilsner, Lager and an Ale here and there I am thinking perhaps it's time to move from the w34/70, S-23 and US-05 to Wyeast as they seem to have a far greater range catering to different styles.

I have a few questions I am hoping can get answered.

1. Will Wyeast improve my Lagers/Pilsners/Ales? (Are they better than using Dry yeast?)
2. Currently I pitch 2 packets when brewing Lagers/Pilsners and 1 packet when brewing Ales. Will 1 Wyeast smack pack be enough for either Lagers/Pilsners and Ales?
3. I have always pitched my Dry yeast at between 22-24C and then brought the temp down to ferment temps over a few hours. Can I do the same with Wyeast smack packs?
4. What temperature does the room have to be to use the Wyeast smack packs. As it's still fairly cool in Melbourne the temp could be 15C inside.
5. I have seen examples of using the Wyeast smack packs, though how long do you generally leave the packet before opening and pouring into fermenter? and should I drop the wyeast packet into starsan before opening or spray the corner where I will cut?


Lots and lots of questions but I appreciate the feedback.

Thanks again.


I brew ALL my beers in multiples of either 3 or 4 cubes, so often have the chance of trying the same beer fermented with different yeasts. My house MIDAPA has been made with all the main dry yeasts (yes both ale and lager) and a lot of different liquid yeasts. Different yeasts make a huge impact on the final product, but I personally don't think dry makes much difference over a liquid yeast. Personally if there is a dry yeast version of the variety I want to use I will use it. I keep US-05 on hand as a backup, even thou I prefer San Diego Super Yeast as it flocs 100 times better. S189 is a great simple lager yeast. W34/70 is a great dry lager yeast for pils etc. Most my beer does get fermented on liquid yeasts, but only because they offer the flexibility of varieties. i.e. There is no dry yeast good for a Grolsch.

I prefer to pitch warm and drop the temp. I try and get the yeast as close to the pitching temp prior to pitching. Always follow the correct pitching rates (unless you specifically want to over//under pitch for a desired characteristic). Smack packs are a hard thing to judge on how long they take to swell. I just smack it 24hours before I'm ready to use it. I've never had one fail, but if they swell too hard to quick sometimes I will throw them in the fridge (after having swelled) overnight, then bring back to pitch temp a couple of hours before use. Prior to opening I spray the pack with starsan (I keep a spray bottle of starsan mix on hand at all times).

The other ting I tend to re-use my yeast for quite a while. I have one fermenter with San Diego Super Yeast in it for the past few months. Obvisous you need to keep the style of beer to suit the yeast, but for generic yeasts that's pretty easy. Works out very cheap yeast when you can get multiple batches from it. I was given this yeast nearly a year ago, where a mate had harvested it from his original batch.


QldKev
 
I have used wyeast smack pack twice now and I must be doing something wrong as the results so far haven't been great,

first was the 3068 for a hefe fermented @ 18deg and it was just bottled fart, undrinkable
re pitched the cake for a second go and fermented @ 19deg, slight sulphur if you really taste for it but a complete over load on clove, i think thats what it is?
again not enjoyable to drink

second was 3463 for tony' bullshead witbier, again have sulphur but not as much as the 3068, couple days into cc and initial tasing is nothing special but i may be jumping the gun on this

when using dries its been all good
 
The wheat yeasts are often difficult to get right. Pitch rates and oxygenation have a big impact on the beer.

The Belgian Ale yeasts are easier to manage. 1214 is bulletproof.
 
:icon_offtopic: Sort of. I smacked a belgian wit on the weekend. It was more than a year old. Didn't take off immediately which I expected, I was planning a wit on sunday so smacked friday (did a lager on saturday). Didn't end up doing it on sunday , SO , after 5 days the sucker is now fully blown. What now?? How long can it stay fully blown before I have to use it??? Or did I just do 10 bucks?? Advice appreciated
cheers
BBB
It sounds as if you fully intended to pitch the yeast directly into the wort. Smacked Friday, brew Sunday....
Do you know the cell count in the pack after 12 months? Maybe 1 or 2 billion viable cells as an absolute max.
Do you know how many cells you need for 22L of the beer you were brewing? I'd be looking for around the 200 billion cells at a rough guess.
Do you know that smacking the pack doesn't actually increase the number of viable cell? This according to the Wyeast FAQ.
All you have done is arouse the few cells that were in the pack, as Jace says refridgerate until you are ready to use it.
Or, here's an idea, make up a 500ml starter wort and pitch in there. Give it 12 hours or so then add another 2L of starter wort.
Give it another 12 hours, refridgerate for 24 hours and tip the liquid off the top before pitching the now many billions of cells into your well aerated Belgian Wit.
If this doesn't fit your brewing schedule then let the 2L starter ferment out before refridgerating for up to a couple of weeks until you brew.

Lucasfab... read the above, much of the flavours you describe come from under or over pitching and lack of sufficient oxygenation.
Cheers
Nige
 
It sounds as if you fully intended to pitch the yeast directly into the wort. Smacked Friday, brew Sunday....
Do you know the cell count in the pack after 12 months? Maybe 1 or 2 billion viable cells as an absolute max.
Do you know how many cells you need for 22L of the beer you were brewing? I'd be looking for around the 200 billion cells at a rough guess.
Do you know that smacking the pack doesn't actually increase the number of viable cell? This according to the Wyeast FAQ.
All you have done is arouse the few cells that were in the pack, as Jace says refridgerate until you are ready to use it.
Or, here's an idea, make up a 500ml starter wort and pitch in there. Give it 12 hours or so then add another 2L of starter wort.
Give it another 12 hours, refridgerate for 24 hours and tip the liquid off the top before pitching the now many billions of cells into your well aerated Belgian Wit.
If this doesn't fit your brewing schedule then let the 2L starter ferment out before refridgerating for up to a couple of weeks until you brew.

Lucasfab... read the above, much of the flavours you describe come from under or over pitching and lack of sufficient oxygenation.
Cheers
Nige

You could have just said make a starter out of it ;)
Thanks
Cheers
BBB
 
Lucasfab... read the above, much of the flavours you describe come from under or over pitching and lack of sufficient oxygenation.
Cheers
Nige
[/quote]


first batch was 15l and just tipped the pack in after pouring from cube to FV from a height
second was 18l onto the yeast cake, many say they do this with no issue

current one same as first but 18l

looks like there is more to it then just dumping in the yeast, so far the liquids have been waste of money

but i guess this is relevant to the OP to insure if he is to use liquid he needs to get it right
 
What age are they when you buy them Lucas? A fresh packet straight from wyeast might work but one sitting in a shop for 3-6 months won't as the viability is down. if the yeast in the first batch weren't healthy dumping onto the cake will get less than desirable results as most of the yeast will be knackered or dead. Moral of the story make a starter then reuse yeast when healthy.
 
The wheat yeasts are often difficult to get right. Pitch rates and oxygenation have a big impact on the beer.

The Belgian Ale yeasts are easier to manage. 1214 is bulletproof.

I've tried 2 beers with 1214, a tripel and a dubbel, and both didn't workout that well :( Loads of diacetyl and low on the spicy belgian yeastiness I was after. I'm sure the yeast can give good results but I am still not quite sure what I did wrong. My other beers always turned out well.
 
Isn't sulphur meant to be a result of low levels of FAN? That's what I ascertained from reading up on wine yeasts.
 
What age are they when you buy them Lucas? A fresh packet straight from wyeast might work but one sitting in a shop for 3-6 months won't as the viability is down. if the yeast in the first batch weren't healthy dumping onto the cake will get less than desirable results as most of the yeast will be knackered or dead. Moral of the story make a starter then reuse yeast when healthy.

from memory under a month.........

will do starter next time
 
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