before pitching? I pitched one pouch of Wyeast London Ale yeast into a porter. The temp of the wort was 68 f, well aerated, with yeast nutrient (no starter, I don't have a stir plate). I smacked the packet about four hours before pitching but I noticed the pouch never swelled. After 48 hours fermentation still had not started (determined by gravity readings). The LHBS was closed and I didn't want to chance waiting another 24 hours so I used a packed of Cooper's dry yeast I had on hand. It's fermenting like crazy now but I still wonder what could have happened to the Wyeast. I had it in my refrigerator for about three weeks. Is it possible the yeast got too cold? Any thoughts?
Is it possible for yeast to be dead...
- Thread starter McAle
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BradleyBrew
Well-Known Member
First, you dont need a stir plate to make a starter. Second yeast can be "dead" but its much more likely that your pitch cell count was low because a "pouch" doesnt really contain enough viable yeast to prevent long lag times... hence the yeast starter. I dont think you harmed anything by adding the additional dry yeast. Did the pack swell at al?. Next time shack the pack a few hours after you smack it and you should here some fizzing inside as the yeast consume the nutrient.
McAle said:
1. Yes it is possible the yeast was dead. This is why it is almost always a good idea to do a starter, to test viability. But, it is also possible the yeast was still in the growth phase and just not making alcohol yet. What was your OG?
2. You don't need a stir plate to make a starter. A growler on your counter can work just fine.
3. It is unlikely the yeast got too cold, but it could be dead for many reasons. Again, with a starter you know before pitching into your wort. What was the date on the pack? It could have just been old.
4. It is also possible the the yeast was fine and you just pitched more on top. Then you have tons of yeast and that is why it is going crazy now.
While it is possible, I really doubt the yeast was dead. It takes a lot to kill off a whole packet of yeast.
I suspect you pitched low (no starter, .... was the gravity high?), and it was just taking a long time to get it's population up. I suspect it is the wyeast that is doing the work rather than the coopers.
I suspect you pitched low (no starter, .... was the gravity high?), and it was just taking a long time to get it's population up. I suspect it is the wyeast that is doing the work rather than the coopers.
Thanks for responding everyone.
BradleyBrew: I smacked the pouch about four hours prior to pitching but it never did swell. The two small bags inside were broken though.
RoundKid: My OG was 1.044. And the same when I checked it two days later to confirm whether fermentation had started.
BradleyBrew: I smacked the pouch about four hours prior to pitching but it never did swell. The two small bags inside were broken though.
RoundKid: My OG was 1.044. And the same when I checked it two days later to confirm whether fermentation had started.
