I put my recipe into Beersmith and my projected OG is 1.059. I intended to use one Wyeast smack pack, but I was reading that it's good up to OGs less than 1.06. Since I right on the cusp of that could I just pitch in a little bit of dry yeast to help aid the fermentation without having to make a starter?
Can I use bot a liquid and a dry yeast?
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causeimthesquid
Well-Known Member
smackpacks essentially have a mini-starter in them. If the packet does swell up then you have active yeast. I wouldn't worry about it. Just use the liquid yeast and monitor your ferment temps.
What yeasts would you be you using? Some of them are actually the same strain. WLP001, Wyeast 1056 and US05 are basically the same thing.
If you are using different strains I would guess it would be better to use both but one will likely take over. I am not sure that you can predict which one will dominate.
If you are using different strains I would guess it would be better to use both but one will likely take over. I am not sure that you can predict which one will dominate.
This is NOT correct. The inner pack is just nutrient. It just energizes the yeast and tests viability. It does little to nothing in increasing the cell count.
What the packet says is not what the manufacturers recommend for pro brewers. And there's no magic difference between what they do and what we do. They say 1.060 because you can make beer at that pitching rate, and it's targeted to the lowest common denominator of homebrewers. It's not an adequate pitch for most beers, and if you want to make the best beer possible (and if you're not trying to make the best beer possible, why bother making beer?), you'll probably need more yeast . If your yeast was manufactured TODAY, you're still underpitching by about 50%. And my money says your yeast is probably older than that.
If you have time, make a starter. 1.057 would require almost 200 billion cells, a very new pack of yeast will contain a maximum of 100 billion cells. Or get another pack.
I never use liquid yeast without making a starter. Will it ferment your beer? Yes.
Will it be OK? Probably at that gravity. Will it be optimal? No.
I prefer to go the extra and make a starter so that my investment into the ingredients is used to the best I can master.
causeimthesquid
Well-Known Member
I was always under the impression that the nutrient uptake was simply anerobic consumption of sugars by the yeast, with nutrients like zinc in the mix. I don't see how CO2 would be produced if there wasn't some metabolism occuring.
Because it is anerobic activity, there is no meaningful increase in cell counts, but if oxygen were introduced wouldn't you expect yeast budding to occur?
Maybe I am completely off on this, but that was always my understanding.
The smack pack is sealed. How is oxygen going to get in there.
Another way to think about the nutrient pack: It would be what on tenth of a liter at most. And a small starter would be 1 liter. How much cell reproduction could there be. Not much.
