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Wyeast Activator Smackpacks


Luke

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Hi Paul,

 

I've just ventured into the liquid yeast game.

 

I bought a 1056 American Ale, made a big starter and split it up into 6 stubbies (for future brews).

 

I'm making a Cooper's Stout with 1.5kg liquid dark malt, 200g chocolate grain (20 min boil), probably 1kg light dry malt, 250g lactose and one of the yeast starters.

 

Haven't decided on the hops yet, probably Goldings.

 

Any other suggestions for this recipe? I'll be brewing it on Saturday, so I've got time to get to the shop.

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Luke.

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No worries Paul.

 

Yeah, It's got a fair krausen on top!

 

Gravity started at 1.060 so should be a pretty good one.

 

I had a good starter going, but after pitching at about 2pm, there was no action in the fermenter until late night.

 

I thought a good starter would've got things happening a bit sooner.

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Luke.

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It depends on what you used in the starter, and the sugar/nutrient profile in the wort. If you were to make your starter in wort (I know its bloody hard, but bare with me for the principle of the argument) then the yeast would already be in a mode of metabolising the sort of sugars and nutrients that will be found in their future environment in the fermenter. Amino acid, salts, vitamins and other minimal media extracts in the extract will offer a fairly different environment from the internal smack-pack nutrient.

 

Obviously, the yeast will adapt to a new environment, and they do - but this takes some time. They adjust, then they have to first start going into growth phase, and once they hit growth log phase (a time when nearly all yeast is at its peak in regards to asexual reproduction in your fermenter) then there should be a rapid explosion in the population within your fermenter. At this time, nearly all the yeast are metabolising sugars aerobicly - producing CO2 and water (not very much, really).

 

What happens is, once the yeast population explodes, available oxygen and other aerobic ingredients in the wort run out very quickly, and the yeast start anaerobic metabolism. This is when you get the sort of fermentation you want from yeast, with by-products of CO2 and Alcohol. This is when you start to see a lot of gas flying out your airlock, and perhaps even the formation of krausen (because there's heaps more yeast cells in the brew now, all producing a bit of CO2 - where as during aerobic fermentation there's an order of magnitude less yeast cells producing a bit of CO2).

 

 

 

So yeah, I still wouldn't worry about the time it takes for the results that you're observing. Its obviously working okay still, perhaps you're expecting a little much from the buggers. Its like you being a world-class marathon runner, doing training on high electrolytes, mineral supplements, lots of low-GI carbs (this reprepresents the yeast in the smack-pack).. and then the day before the event, you get maccas, VB, chocolate, chips, greasy burgers, pavlovas, chilli con carne, (this is the yeast first being dropped into the wort, and their growth before fermentation) and then expecting an immediately slick performance.. well, kinda. :lol:

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Sorry Kieran,

 

bit of a timing error there. I started typing my reply then got called away and didn't check that anyone may have replied meantime before finally submitting the post.

 

 

 

Your post is an excellent reply!!

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Thanks Guys,

 

I probably was expecting a faster result compared with dried yeast.

 

But all's good and it smells fantastic.

 

 

 

BTW - Kieran, you wouldn't happen to work for someone like CSL? or Peter Mac Cancer Centre (I saw in another post you said you were a geneticist) or another of the drug manufacturers like Pfizer, Glaxo, Sigma or Mayne Pharma?

 

 

 

I'm kinda linked to them in another way...

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Luke.

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I work at Monash Uni at the moment, in Anatomy & Cell Biology. I started in the Genetics department at Adelaide Uni, who merged and became Molecular Biosciences, and then merged again to become the current School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences. I'm the odd one out in the anatomy/cell biology department. They're all physiology-like people, and I'm the genetics/biochemistry guy. The sooner I'm outter here, and somewhere else with more of my kind again, the better!

 

My friends are yeast, bacteria, mammalian cells, DNA, proteins and stuff like that. These people are experts in the human body, doing dissections, training surgeons, etc. Its completely different from what I do (you're right, I should be somewhere like Peter Mac, and will probably end up there sometime).

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  • 1 month later...

She's been in the bottle for almost 2 months now.

 

Has to be the best stout I've ever made!

 

Probably describe it as a smooth, clean taste and very well balanced hop and malt flavour.

 

I thought the chocolate malt might be too overpowering, but it's spot on!

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Luke.

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mmm.. sounds great.

 

 

 

I did an Alaskan Smoked Porter on the weekend, an A.G. affair with a couple of mates. It'll be ready for drinking in about 6 months time. :)

 

 

 

If any of yours make it that far, Luke, maybe we should have a tasting day.

 

 

 

I kegged my first run of an A.G. Blonde Ale that I did a couple of weeks ago.. Its really light in colour, but malty.. I used Pilsener malt for it, so while the colour is light, there was still around 4kg of grist in the mash.. for a final vol of about 17 litres.. so its quite malty, about 4.6% Alc/Vol.. Its conditioning now at 4 degrees.

 

 

 

cya

 

K

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If any of yours make it that far, Luke, maybe we should have a tasting day.

 

 

 

 

Sounds good mate.

 

Won't have a problem ageing it. I'm usually drinking up to year old beer (except the beers I keg).

 

I'm kegging a Blonde soon, a straight kit & kilo job. Naturally carbed so it should be ready for Christmas time.

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Luke.

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