Yeast Fail

[mjasinski30]

So, I decided to try liquid yeast for the first time tonight and ran into an issue. Brew went great, chilled the wort down nicely, and was tearing open the yeast pack when I noticed the directions called to pop the “smack pack” before opening. Whoops. Well, trying to pop the pack with the large package open predictably did not go well. So, I have a bucket of wort waiting for yeast but can’t get to the local homebrew store until the morning. Should I bother or is this brew ruined? Wort is in the bucket with lid sealed in the garage where it won’t break 60 degrees until late morning tomorrow. Thanks for the help...again.

 

[VikeMan]

It's not ideal, but if the wort was kept sanitary after the boil it will probably be okay.

For future reference...you don't have to smack the Wyeast smack pack at all. All that process does is prove that you have live yeast. None of the other yeast manufacturers do the smack pack thing.

 

[IslandLizard]

Damn! Did you spill or contaminate all the yeast trying to pop the nutrient bubble?

BTW, for future reference, you could have pitched the yeast all by itself, and forget the nutrient bubble.

Although the bubble may help getting the yeast activated, it's not really necessary. Sometimes nothing happens, e.g., the pack doesn't swell. Even WYeast says to just pitch it the way it is.

Now more importantly, you should really make yeast starters in advance. It revitalizes the yeast while growing more healthy cells. Especially needed in higher gravity or volume batches. One pack, especially when a few months old, is a bit skimpy.

BrewUnited's Yeast Calculator

 

[mjasinski30]

It's not ideal, but if the wort was kept sanitary after the boil it will probably be okay.

For future reference...you don't have to smack the Wyeast smack pack at all. All that process does is prove that you have live yeast. None of the other yeast manufacturers do the smack pack thing.

Damn! Did you spill or contaminate all the yeast trying to pop the nutrient bubble?

BTW, for future reference, you could have pitched the yeast all by itself, and forget the nutrient bubble.

Although the bubble may help getting the yeast activated, it's not really necessary. Sometimes nothing happens, e.g., the pack doesn't swell. Even WYeast says to just pitch it the way it is.

Now more importantly, you should really make yeast starters in advance. It revitalizes the yeast while growing more healthy cells. Especially needed in higher gravity or volume batches. One pack, especially when a few months old, is a bit skimpy.

BrewUnited's Yeast Calculator

Thanks guys. It did spill trying to pop the pack. I guess it doesn’t hurt to buy a new pack and pitch in the morning. May just be the difference between tossing it tomorrow versus a few weeks from now. In the meantime, I’ll have to brew another batch just in case

 

[bracconiere]

i once brewed a 10 gallon batch and only had one 5 gallon fermenter, the other 5 gallons, i just put in my mash tun. and it took off with active fermentation about as quick as the one i added yeast to, wish i tasted it.....

 

[IslandLizard]

Should I bother or is this brew ruined? Wort is in the bucket with lid sealed in the garage where it won’t break 60 degrees until late morning tomorrow.

As long as your sanitation was good, it will be fine. I've left wort in a sealed bucket for 8 hours in a cold place (around 60F) to get all the trub to precipitate and compact. Then poured the clear wort off the top into another ferm bucket, aerated, and pitched the yeast starter. All good.

May just be the difference between tossing it tomorrow versus a few weeks from now.

I doubt it will spoil in 12-24 hours. Some breweries and brew shops sell fresh wort. Those can be a day old before you get them to process or just pitch yeast into. Sanitation is everything!

For you next batches, seriously, look into making yeast starters from any liquid yeast.
a) It proves viability
b) It grows more cells, closer to the recommended amount. See the yeast calculator I linked to before
c) Overbuild the starter (make more than you're pitching), and save the rest out. Store in a mason or jelly jar in the fridge. Then make a new starter from that for the next brew. And again, and again.

 

[ba-brewer]

Does not hurt to have a pack or two of dry yeast on hand, cheap insurance.

 

[mjasinski30]

What’s the best way to aerate the wort again before pitching the yeast?

 

[Barbarossa]

I keep a few packs of dry yeast for emergencies. WB-06 and 34/70 can cover a lot of ground.

 

[IslandLizard]

What’s the best way to aerate the wort again before pitching the yeast?

Best way is to oxygenate, using pure oxygen through a stainless 0.5 micron "oxygenation stone."
You'd need an oxygen tank (and regulator) or one of those small hardware store disposable red oxygen tanks, and a shut off valve. Those tanks look like a small portable propane cylinder used for a handyman plumbing torch.
1 minute at 1 liter/min in a 5 gallon batch is usually plenty.

Next is aeration using an aquarium pump with a 2 micron stainless "aeration stone." Air contains 21% O2. Takes a little longer, say 10-30 minutes.

Or any manual method, such as good shaking (but don't do that with glass!), whisking, hard stirring, drill attachment/paint stirrer, or anything else to whip air/oxygen into the wort/beer while keeping your wort sanitation in check.

You can either aerate/oxygenate right before or right after pitching (liquid) yeast.

Dry yeast does not benefit as much from aeration/oxygenation, although the jury is not unanimous on that. I think it helps, and would recommend it.