Issues with Wyeast

[Pennine]

This is my 5th time using a yeast from Wyeast and everytime I have been disappointed. They all seem to take 3-4 days to get active and then I have never been really impressed with the outcome. The latest batch kicked off after about 2 days and then a day later died out fermenting from 1052 to 1048. I ended up dumping half a pack of s189 in and it's happily chugging away. Bad luck or is Wyeast just a pain to use?

 

[Scrattajack]

Did you make a starter?

I had trouble with a slow start to a Wyeast Smack Pack and got roundly told off on here for not making one. I haven't had a problem since.

 

[foxbat]

Strange. Wyeast is my number one choice for yeast and has never let me down at all. I always make a starter with liquid yeast of any brand.

 

[Nottsbeer]

I'm using Wyeast for the first time, pitched last night around 9pm. I followed the instructions on the pack and it has stated to work (pic below). I hadn't seen suggestions to make a starter for this, will do for the future tho if it's good practice. I've split my brew and have 12l on the fermenter fridge which has also started.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I've used Wyeast 'smack packs' many times and have never had a problem with them either with or () without a starter.
There's no doubt that with a starter it gets going quicker but the end results seem identical.
I do find you need to give them about half a day to swell up properly after rupturing the internal nutrient sachet though.

 

[Pennine]

Did you make a starter?

I had trouble with a slow start to a Wyeast Smack Pack and got roundly told off on here for not making one. I haven't had a problem since.

Not for this one but have in the past for the other ones which have also been slow to start. I used a pack in 10l which should be more than adequate. Another note the packaging recommended temps of 64 to 72 for a lager yeast? Although online it has lager temps stated.

However that does bring up a good point, I have never made a starter with Imperial or some other vendors like WHC or Propogate and have never had an issue with a slow starter or stall. It sounds like a lot of people have success with Wyeast but with the alternatives out there I will never use them again.

edit: it could also be the strains I tend to use the ones you can only find for Wyeast. Maybe the more common ones work better?

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I'm using Wyeast for the first time, pitched last night around 9pm. I followed the instructions on the pack and it has stated to work (pic below). I hadn't seen suggestions to make a starter for this, will do for the future tho if it's good practice. I've split my brew and have 12l on the fermenter fridge which has also started.

Wyeast say you only need to use a starter (for a 19L batch) if your OG is over 1060 or you are fermenting below 18ºc:

Making a Starter | Wyeast Laboratories

The Wyeast Smack-Pack Activator System (125 mL) is designed to directly inoculate 5 gallons (19 L) of standard ale wort (O.G. < 1.060, 65-72 °F/ 18-22 °C). When brewing high gravity beer (O.G. >1.060) or cold fermented lagers or ales (<65 °F /18 °C) additional yeast will be required. An Activator contains approximately 100 billion cells which will deliver slightly less than 6 million cells per mL in a 5 gallon (19 L) batch of beer.​

 

[Nottsbeer]

I've used Wyeast 'smack packs' many times and have never had a problem with them either with or () without a starter.
There's no doubt that with a starter it gets going quicker but the end results seem identical.
I do find you need to give them about half a day to swell up properly after rupturing the internal nutrient sachet though.

Yes, I noticed that when reading the instructions they recommend 3hrs for the pack to swell...mine took considerably longer but not a problem as my brew also took longer than planned!

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

@Pennine just a thought, but have all the times you've used it been from the same retailer? When I've had it it's always arrived with an ice-pack ... don't know how quickly the viability would suffer if it got too warm in transit?

 

[trueblue]

I have normally had good results with Wyeast and like their range but do find the smack packs a pain in the ar5e so tend to go for whitelabs

 

[samale]

The two I have used
Wyeast Czech pilsner 2278
Wyeast 1214 Belgian abbey

Both very slow to start but worked well. When I say slow the 1214 starter was at day 3 before showing signs of life.

 

[Pennine]

@Pennine just a thought, but have all the times you've used it been from the same retailer? When I've had it it's always arrived with an ice-pack ... don't know how quickly the viability would suffer if it got too warm in transit?

No they have been from various retailers, a couple mail order and two recent ones I grabbed from the lhbs that were in a cold fridge.

Also in the recent batch I did smack it and then let it work for around 3 hours in the sealed pack, the bag was full of air by time I opened it. It seemed to kick off fine but then it just fizzled out after dropping the gravity a bit. I warmed it up and nothing happened. With the s189 added it's fermenting just fine.

 

[Pennine]

The have only used
Wyeast Czech pilsner 2278
Wyeast 1214 Belgian abbey

Both very slow to start but worked well. When I say slow the 1214 starter was at day 3 before showing signs of life.

Yeah I had the same for 1214 3 days before any activity. The recent one is WY2007 and WY1450 was also slow on the initial large starter and then the subsequent pitches have also been slow. The beer with 1450 is not good at all and it's a simple recipe with cashmere which I seem to remember liking.

 

[An Ankoù]

I tend to order mine in the winter so that they've got a chance of reaching me fresh and then they can hang around in the fridge for a year or more so that when I get round to using them they're often past their best-by-date. So I plan ahead and always make a starter. I'll often build that starter by making a half batch of something and then repitching most or half or the yeast cake. Planning ahead is the name of the game with liquid yeast, at £8 (or €11) a throw, it's not cheap and I always plan a string of beers so that I can use it for several generations. I'm currently using Wyeast 1028 for the first time. It's a lovely yeast, but it hangs around in and on top of the beer. I split the dregs of my first brew (Five Points Best) into four and I've used two of them already. I rarely bottle beer as cloudy as this, but it dropped bright within 24 hours of bottling it and if I keep a couple of bottles, I'll be able to reculture the dregs for future brews- in a year or so's time as I've got other yeasts and styles to play with.
I should add that, while I've got larger conical flasks, I find the 1L size perfect for my requirements. I don't have and I've never needed to use a stir plate- there's something quite satisfying about shaking and swirling a flask and watching it fizz.

 

[MickDundee]

Wyeast say you only need to use a starter (for a 19L batch) if your OG is over 1060 or you are fermenting below 18ºc:

I believe the issue with WYeast is it’s all imported from America and, whilst I’m in no doubt that the likes of MM and GEB store it properly, you can’t guarantee it’s been storedt properly in transit and it can reduce the life of the sachets so a lot of people/places recommend doing a starter regardless.

The only times I haven’t bothered with a starter was when the manufacturing date was only about 3 weeks before I was using it (that was a Whitelabs one which I believe is made in Denmark).

 

[MrRook]

This is my 5th time using a yeast from Wyeast and everytime I have been disappointed. They all seem to take 3-4 days to get active and then I have never been really impressed with the outcome. The latest batch kicked off after about 2 days and then a day later died out fermenting from 1052 to 1048. I ended up dumping half a pack of s189 in and it's happily chugging away. Bad luck or is Wyeast just a pain to use?

How old are the ones you've been using?
Back when I was using liquid yeast I was able to get away without a starter in my three gallon batches if it was really close to the manufacture date. Unless I was brewing a barleywine or imperial stout.

 

[Pennine]

How old are the ones you've been using?
Back when I was using liquid yeast I was able to get away without a starter in my three gallon batches if it was really close to the manufacture date. Unless I was brewing a barleywine or imperial stout.

All of them within the dates the most recent use by was 23/8 and I brewed last weekend. And same here I have always been able to get away with not using a starter for the smaller batches. Are you using dry yeast now?

@MickDundee I am in the US now and am having the same issue.

Maybe I will get a pack of 1056 and see what the results are. Seems like I am the only one having issues?

 

[Scrattajack]

Wort aeration?

 

[Pennine]

Wort aeration?

Hmm I don't, I just let it pour in from the kettle to fermenter. With dry you don't need to worry about it and I never considered doing more?

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Hmm I don't, I just let it pour in from the kettle to fermenter. With dry you don't need to worry about it and I never considered doing more?

If there is dissolved oxygen available then the yeast can go into ‘fast reproduction’ mode which helps to get the party started