It has been over 20 years since I last used a pack of liquid yeast. For my next beer I plan on using 1450, but I’m slightly concerned because it wasn’t delivered in a timely fashion. I ordered the ice pack, but FedEx took their grand ol time. Not the end of the world (I’ll have a pack of US-05 on hand just in case), but is there a way of knowing pre-pitch if the liquid yeast is viable?
The directions say to break the interior nutrient packet, vigorously shake, and (optional) let the yeast sit for 3 hours (give or take) at room temp. If I do this, the package should expand.
This is probably a ridiculous question but can I assume that if the package blows up, the yeast is happy? And if it doesn’t, go to Plan B? Or is an expanding package irrelevant to yeast health?
I have a bit of experience with 1450…you are correct about the package expanding to indicate yeast viabililty. It may take more or less time than 3 hours…probably more. Also, I find 1450 packs are often expanded without popping the nutrients. That’s not a problem. The best way to verify yeast viability is to make a starter. Besides making sure your yeast is healthy, it will also make better beer for you.
The pack I used last week was slightly swollen when I got it. According to MrMalty the date of manufacturing gave me the exact amount of yeast cells needed to ferment my batch. I pitched at 1 pm, saw slight signs of fermentation at 9 pm and it was burping along nicely at 7 am the next morning.
Thanks, Denny. According to a yeast calculator, I should make a starter. Apparently if my pack of 1450 was a lot fresher a starter wouldn’t have been necessary. Another lesson learned: shopping for liquid yeast is like shopping for milk.
IMO, a starter is always necessary for any beer over 1.040. As you may have gathered, I’m not a big believer in cell count. Yeah, you need enough, but exact numbers don’t really mean much. As Chris White once said to me about yeast “homebrewers are too hung up on numbers”
For 2.5 gal., I modify my rules. A smack pack may not be enough for 5 gal., but it’s pretty much always enough for 2.5 gal. AAMOF, I just pitched a pick of 1450 directly into a 2.5 gal. 1.060 batch and had complete fermentation in less than a week. The pack was several months (6+) old. But again, I don’t worry about numbers…I look at yeast vitality. So, to go full circle back to your original question, if the pack shows viability after you smack it, you’re good to go.
That’s good to know. According to a yeast calculator I just looked at, 6+ months means they were all dead!
The beer I plan on making has a target OG of 1.059 and the yeast is about 3-1/2 months old. If that package blows up, its getting pitched - as is. If it doesn’t blow up, I’ll still pitch it…just not in the beer!
Well, today, I used that 3-1/2 month old pack of 1450 in my 2.5 gal 1.055 OG batch. According to an unnamed yeast calculator, I am 63 billion cells short and in need of a starter. Regardless, I smacked the pack, shook it like a midnight rambler, and let it sit for about 4 hours. It blew up like a balloon and in it went.
6 hours later and the air lock is starting to burp. In Denny, we trust.
By 8 hours, the airlock was like a steam engine. 24 hours, still the same.
I know there’s more to it than just what the airlock does and maybe the yeast calculator numbers are right. Unless, of course, they aren’t, and they need some serious adjusting. I’m not saying that a starter wouldn’t have been a good idea, but any opportunity to save time, ingredients, cleaning and reduce possible contamination seems like a win to me. Brew and learn I guess.
There is a lot of debate about yeast calculators because different calculators show wildly different numbers. All I worry about is pitching an appropriate amount of healthy yeast. And I spent years with the yeast calculator/ stir plate method. The results were no better than what I do now.
