Yeast Spill

[Westo]

Hi fellow Brewers i have a question that has been eating away at me all day.

Today whilst i was finishing a Dark Ale and about to pitch the yeast I had a little accident, after cutting open the packet of US-05 i somehow managed to spill half the pack. I pitched the remaining half and put the beer away to work its magic. Will this be enough yeast to get the job done or should i add more yeast? I only have coopers yeast in the fridge and i think i read somewhere that mixing yeast strands isn't the best way to go.

oh and just in case this helps out the OG was 1.050

If anyone can help be much appreciated

Thanks

Westo

 

[JakeSm]

this will be plenty. just means it will take a little longer to start but yeast cells multiply very quickly. 1 becomes 2, 2 becomes 4, 4 becomes 8, 8 becomes 16 and so on and so on.......your beer will be fine.

 

[Wolfy]

In order to best answer the question, it would be useful to know the volume of beer and the production date of the yeast pack, and also if you rehydrated the yeast or pitched it directly?

Assuming a typical batch size of 22L and that the yeast was manufactured this year, to achieve a pitching rate that is considered 'industry standard' (see: http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html ) you'd need to pitch just a little more than 1 pack. So spilling half of it means that you are underpitching (from that rate) by half which is not a good thing. However, yeast is a living organism and it will reproduce and build-up numbers and probably still be OK. Some books (such as Designing Great Beers) talk about a 'Home brew pitching rate' which is well below the 'industry standard' and so even if you pitch only 1/2 the pack you'd still be well within the limits outlined there.

As long as you do not mind the results of mixing two yeasts there is not really any reason not to, many of the Coopers-kits come with mixed-strain-yeast-sachets, it just means that your beer might have some characteristics of both the combined yeasts, which is sometimes a good thing.

 

[JakeSm]

so as i said your beer will be fine, hahaha

 

[Westo]

In order to best answer the question, it would be useful to know the volume of beer and the production date of the yeast pack, and also if you rehydrated the yeast or pitched it directly?

Wolfy - it was a 23 ltr batch forgot to add that before

Cheers guys for the help :icon_chickcheers:

 

[Yob]

when I first started to rinse yeast, I had some numbers wrong and under pitched a few beers in row... :icon_vomit:

I incorrectly assumed at the time that as yeast multiply it didnt matter. (It was still drinkable but not as nice as it could have been)

Better to over pitch than under pitch... of course getting the pitching rate bang on is.. well.. ideal.

:icon_cheers:

ed: grandmar

 

[Nick JD]

The results of underpitching US05 are not bad, just against what you actually use US05 for ... it's cleanness.

I often overpitch it for IPAs, because I sometimes get diacetyl and underattenuation with the "adequate" pitch. Yeah, it might have something to do with another factor in my brewing, but I figured out a solution that works for me.

So yes, you might find it's a little bit buttery and a little bit sweet, but it'll still be a tasty drop.