Failure of Wyeast 3787

[OnceinDC]

Hi Folks,

After combing the contents of the "OMG Did I ruin my batch" I believe I have an issue that wasn't clearly addressed there.

For my first batch of homebrew I am using a Williams Brewing Belgian Wit 5-gallon extract kit. It arrived with a Wyeast 3787 High Gravity smack pack that I duly broke the nutrient pack in and let sit for several hours while making the wort and then chilling it. I noticed that the pack didn't expand at all really so after getting the wort down to about 68-70 degrees I seal it up and left the yeast pack to expand a bit over night. The next morning it hadn't really expanded at all, but I pitched it, sealed the fermenter and gave the fermenter a few shakes/swirls.

I saw no airlock activity at all yesterday and took a peak inside the fermenter (24 hours after pitching) this morning. There was no sign of activity at all, certainly not the krausen this strain is reputed to produce. My question is, if there is no activity when I return home tonight (35-36 hours after pitching) should I pitch a packet of Safale s-05 ale yeast that I have on hand for a planned batch, or should I just keep the wort as cool as possible and run to my homebrew store tomorrow and pick up a yeast strain that is similar to the one that failed and immediately use that (would be approximately 68-70 hours after pitching). I don't like being that person that needlessly worried but would be pretty disappointing to just toss my first batch of homebrew. Thank you for any insight and I look forward to contributing to this community.

 

[KeystoneHomebrew]

Lets break these down a bit.

First, a Wyeast pack doesn't always swell up that much, if at all. Granted 95% of the time they do, but not always.

Always do your shaking of the fermenter before you add the yeast. The last thing you want is to have your yeast clinging to the sides and lid of the fermenter.

The strain you have is a trucker for sure, but give it at least 48 hours before hitting the panic button. If after 48 hours you notice zero krausen, I would bite the bullet and go get a yeast that would brew the beer you wanted. Safale S-33 is a great choice if going for dry.

Let me know if I missed anything.

Aaron

 

[drumnart]

Also, from what I've read on these forums, airlock activity can be a poor indicator of active fermentation. To accurately find out if fermentation has started you need to take a gravity reading. I've read it can take 48-72 hours, so if you reach that point with no change in gravity I'd think about pitching some more yeast. Goo luck.

 

[OnceinDC]

Thanks for the insight guys.

I'll give it about 60 hours or so and if there is nothing whatsoever I'll spin over to my LHBS and grab a liquid yeast (they carry WLP liquid yeasts so believe equivalency will be either #500 or #530) and pitch it directly the minute I get home.

 

[Gitmoe]

Did you check the packing date on the pack before pitching? It could be possible you got a really old pack of yeast from wherever the kit came from. I don't think this is likely but definitely a possibility for consideration. When you're getting yeast, always check the freshness. Especially with liquid yeast.

I agree with Aaron though, give it some more time. I've had yeast lag on me for 4 days before. It's not common but it can happen.

 

[OnceinDC]

Hey Gitmoe. The pack was from March 2013.

 

[Gitmoe]

Hey Gitmoe. The pack was from March 2013.

Not crazy fresh but that shouldn't be old enough to give you any problems assuming it was stored correctly for that time period...

 

[OnceinDC]

I am not entirely sure how it was stored prior to shipping, but it was kept at room temp (4 days @ about 68) before use, mostly because I didn't realize it the kit was coming with a liquid yeast. It shipped from the West Coast so who knows what temperature it was at during transit. Anyhow, I'm keeping the wort in the dark at around 68-70 degrees right now. I'll take a quick peak at it when I get home today and tomorrow evening. If there is still nothing I'll go pick up another liquid yeast and just directly pitch it. Sound reasonable?

 

[KeystoneHomebrew]

Hey OnceinDC, any update?

 

[OnceinDC]

Hey Folks. I ended up being that person....I came home on the 2nd day after pitching the yeast to find a nice layer of Krausen on top of the wort and the airlock bubbling away. I will be checking the gravity of the beer on Saturday/Sunday (approx 9 days after pitching the yeast) to see how close it is to being done. Really appreciate all the help (reassurance, really) from everyone.

The next undertakings are going to be an Old Rasputin clone and a Breakfast Stout clone that I'll be aging for a few months. Will be looking to do something simple in between those batches I suspect.

 

[novahokie09]

I just started a 3787 starter with the intentions to pitch 2 smack packs into 3L. Both packs were packaged March 14th 2013. I pop the smack pack for the nutrients in the starter, but I noted a distinct sour note that was significantly different than the other smack pack. I ended up making a 2L starter with the hopefully good pack and trashed the other. I'll have to stop at myLHBS tomorrow to get another smack pack to pitch enough yeast.

I wonder if Wyeast had some bad batches in March. What date was your 3787 packaged?

 

[OnceinDC]

I trashed it after it fermented. It didn't have a sourish smell to it from what I could tell through the airlock (mostly just smelled like beer and the wit), so we'll have to see.

 

[KeystoneHomebrew]

Glad to hear the beer is trucking away!

As far as Wyeast "bad batches", you have a better shot of hitting the lottery. The variable that any homebrewer and commercial brewer cannot account for is the yeast. It is a living organism, and as such is sometimes unpredictable in how it will perform. Yeast labs do their best, and are very successful.

But ask your local brewery how often they've had to dump beer because the yeast didn't do its job. The answer may surprise you.

 

[LAXflyguy]

I had nearly the exact same experience as DC with 3787:
2 unknown date smack packs (forgot to look) didn't swell nearly at all even after 30 hours post-smack. Pitched both into 5.5 gal of high gravity "Trappist Ale" wort at perfect pitching temp. Didn't see ANY signs of fermentation until the *4th day later*!!
THEN... The magic. Krausen galore. It went fairly strongly for about 2 weeks.
We did raise the temp from 72 to almost 79 however.
Also, there was noticeable bubbling from the trub area that we hadn't noticed before.
(Not that that's saying much cuz we're both noobs).

 

[drawdy10]

Noobs + high gravity = frustration, hopefully you make some good stuff but I have been going for a few years now and I still find it very difficult to make something that is great above 9% it really makes you respect the Belgians and other breweries that do it on a consistent basis, I however may be bias as well to the lower gravity stuff since I prefer the pint glass to the snifter....