17 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I'm going to use Omega West Coast ale yeast for the first time and it will be on a 5% ale. The packaging is similar to a Wyeast pack but I don't think there is a nutrient pack in there. Typically in this case I would smack the pack, wait for activity and just directly pitch on brewday. I wouldn't do that on a lager but I have done this on ales many times. I would really like to avoid making a starter for this so I was just thinking of taking it out of the fridge and letting it warm up for a number of days and then brewing and pitching. Thoughts?

[HVB]

Take it out the morning of and pitch it later in the day.  If it was me I would still do the shaken not stirred method for a starter just to be sure.

 

ETA:   I would treat it no different than a white labs package or any other yeast. 

Edited by drez77, 30 December 2016 - 08:29 AM.

[Big Nake]

Take it out the morning of and pitch it later in the day.  If it was me I would still do the shaken not stirred method for a starter just to be sure.
 
ETA:   I would treat it no different than a white labs package or any other yeast.

I haven't used a vial/pack of White Labs for ales in a long time either so I agree that it's similar. I could see brewing next weekend so maybe I'll take it out a couple of days in advance to give it some time to warm up. I don't know if this package is supposed to expand or what but I'm pretty sure there is no nutrient pack. Thanks.

[HVB]

No it will not expand, there is nothing in there other than yeast.

[matt6150]

Just curious, why take it out a couple days in advance?

[HVB]

Just curious, why take it out a couple days in advance?

I was wondering that myself.  I assume with such a small volume it will warm to room temp quickly.

[Big Nake]

Just curious, why take it out a couple days in advance?

Yeah, I guess I'm thinking "warm up and get active" which it won't really do. Take it out on brewday as Drez suggested seems to be the best approach.

[Big Nake]

I pitched this packet of OYL-004 on Saturday around noon. No activity at this point. The easy answer is that I should have made a starter for it. I make starters for any lager yeast I use (except dry) and I generally don't use ale yeast that is not Wyeast... mainly because Wyeast is the only liquid yeast I seem to be able to get locally... until this one store started carrying Omega. The nutrient pack in the Wyeast pack is superior in that you know the yeast is viable and the yeast gets a head start. I have always been able to smack a pack, let it swell and hen pitch it into a 5% ale without issue. I would always get active fermentation in 12 hours or so. I'm not losing sleep and clearly any subsequent batches will take off quicker but thought I would share.

[HVB]

I pitched this packet of OYL-004 on Saturday around noon. No activity at this point. The easy answer is that I should have made a starter for it. I make starters for any lager yeast I use (except dry) and I generally don't use ale yeast that is not Wyeast... mainly because Wyeast is the only liquid yeast I seem to be able to get locally... until this one store started carrying Omega. The nutrient pack in the Wyeast pack is superior in that you know the yeast is viable and the yeast gets a head start. I have always been able to smack a pack, let it swell and hen pitch it into a 5% ale without issue. I would always get active fermentation in 12 hours or so. I'm not losing sleep and clearly any subsequent batches will take off quicker but thought I would share.

 

Take it out the morning of and pitch it later in the day.  If it was me I would still do the shaken not stirred method for a starter just to be sure.

 

ETA:   I would treat it no different than a white labs package or any other yeast. 

 

 

Hmmm

 

Relax, it will be fine ... give it a chance!

[Big Nake]

Hmmm
 
Relax, it will be fine ... give it a chance!

Yeah, I totally get that. I haven't had to make a starter for an ale in a long time. Without a nutrient pack in there, I was suspicious that there might be a delay, etc. In the end, I have no doubts that it will start and that I will have good beer in the end. I grabbed this yeast because this specific shop did not have 1056 and the guy told me that this yeast was the same strain, different brand. The yeast did smell nice... it's just not doing anything.

[Big Nake]

72+ hours. No activity.

[Bklmt2000]

72+ hours. No activity.

 

Got another yeast you handy that you can pitch in?

[Big Nake]

I'm not sure. I might but I generally don't keep dry ale yeast on hand. I do know that I have S-189 and I could easily turn this into a lager if I had to. I'm also brewing on Saturday [or Sunday] and making my dark lager recipe with 2124. My guess is that it will start up and everything will be okay. But if it's the weekend and this thing is STILL not kicking, I guess I could pour some 2124 slurry in there and turn it into a lager.

[Big Nake]

Hey, whaddya know. A gentle swirl of the primary gave me a bunch of activity in the airlock this morning. I should have mentioned that this primary is in a tub of water on the basement floor and the temp is around 60° so possibly slightly cool for a packet of liquid ale yeast that didn't have a nutrient pack and where no starter was made. Lesson learned. Next time I use Omega ale yeast... starter. Cheers kids.

[HVB]

60 seems low to me.  I think i would have let it go a bit warmer and then once it go going dropped it down a bit.  But, at least it is going now.  Out of curiosity was there a date on the yeast package?  I am just wondering how old it was.

[Big Nake]

60 seems low to me.  I think i would have let it go a bit warmer and then once it go going dropped it down a bit.  But, at least it is going now.  Out of curiosity was there a date on the yeast package?  I am just wondering how old it was.

Omega yeast has a little box on the label and it looks like someone writes a date with a Sharpie which is kind of weird. That sloppily-written date appears to say 9/27 so it's going on 4 months old. Again, I'm not worried in the least... sanitation was good and the aroma I got when the airlock was bubbling up with Starsan was good. This is the first time using this stuff so had I known it would have gone this way I would have made a 'standard' starter... 650ml of water and maybe ½ cup of DME or something... just to wake it up.

[Bklmt2000]

Hey, whaddya know. A gentle swirl of the primary gave me a bunch of activity in the airlock this morning. I should have mentioned that this primary is in a tub of water on the basement floor and the temp is around 60° so possibly slightly cool for a packet of liquid ale yeast that didn't have a nutrient pack and where no starter was made. Lesson learned. Next time I use Omega ale yeast... starter. Cheers kids.

 

Had the same thing happen to me when I brewed a batch of 2 Hearted Ale a couple weeks back.

 

Pitched some fresh US-05 slurry, and had the primary in a tub of water in the basement; 24 hours post-pitch, no activity, and the stick-on fermometer reads ~59°.

 

I ditched the water tub setup and just let the primary sit on the basement floor (basement is ~61 air temp right now).  12 hours later, krausen aplenty and the beer temp was ~62°.

 

Good enough for me, and a good reminder that I don't need to use a water bath in the winter, unless it's for a lager.

[Big Nake]

Had the same thing happen to me when I brewed a batch of 2 Hearted Ale a couple weeks back.
 
Pitched some fresh US-05 slurry, and had the primary in a tub of water in the basement; 24 hours post-pitch, no activity, and the stick-on fermometer reads ~59°.
 
I ditched the water tub setup and just let the primary sit on the basement floor (basement is ~61 air temp right now).  12 hours later, krausen aplenty and the beer temp was ~62°.
 
Good enough for me, and a good reminder that I don't need to use a water bath in the winter, unless it's for a lager.

Agreed. I typically aim for the low end of the yeast's temp range and I probably should have expected a slow start here and maybe put the primary in a warmer spot. My guess and long-term prediction for this batch is "tasty beer" so I'm not overly concerned. I do have some Omega lager yeast as well but I would have been making a starter for that one without question so this Omega ale yeast situation was a little unique. I haven't used a White Labs ale packet in a long time either... only Wyeast ale.