Got to thinking about this after a discussion with another brewer, maybe I'm off base, maybe not. The theory:
Yeast require oxygen for healthy replication. The smack packs are not gas permeable, thus starting the yeast by bursting the "nutrient pouch" results in less than optimal yeast health, as the cells that survive have been oxygen deprived to a certain extent.
By inflating the smack pack prior to pitching and/or making a starter, do we inadvertantly propagate the less healthy yeast cells? Does this have an effect on the final beer, relative to an "unsmacked" pack?
I'm not convinced one way or another, but would like to get some thoughts.
Yeast require oxygen for healthy replication. The smack packs are not gas permeable, thus starting the yeast by bursting the "nutrient pouch" results in less than optimal yeast health, as the cells that survive have been oxygen deprived to a certain extent.
By inflating the smack pack prior to pitching and/or making a starter, do we inadvertantly propagate the less healthy yeast cells? Does this have an effect on the final beer, relative to an "unsmacked" pack?
I'm not convinced one way or another, but would like to get some thoughts.