2/8/2010 -- Hi, I recently made a Belgium beer and had a question about the yeast. The SG I recorded for my beer was 1.10. It has been a few days and there has been no activity. What I wanted to know is if the alcohol content was too high for my yeast. The yeast I used was Trappist. If the alcohol is too high for my yeast what do I have to do to get the yeast to start making alcohol?
Do I just have to add more yeast that has a higher gravity rating?
Any info on the subject matter would be very helpful.

Thank you,

Response From Homebrew Heaven: That will be a strong Belgian.

At the point when you aded the yeast, there WAS no alcohol...only barley malt sugar. That isn't the problem!

I would question several things:

a) Was the yeast fresh (it doesn't show that you bought it from us!)???

b) When you smacked the Wyeast pack, did you let it swell, as recommended? Did it swell up?

c) How do you know it isn't fermenting? If it's in a sealed "bucket" type fermenter, it can often leak a little around the edge, leading you to believe it isn't fermenting. The way to know for sure is to open it up and take a hydrometer reading. Look for signs of foaming as long as you're in there.

Do you need to add more yeast? Unable to say without knowing the above.

4/25/2009 -- I live in Costa Rica and will be going on vacation to the States in June. If I order the Wizard's Wheat, and possibly one other, should I stick with the dry yeast since I will have to carry it through customs and possibly take a couple weeks from the time I receive the kit at my friend's house in California?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, I would stick with the dry yeasts under the circumstances. If customs decides to open the liquid yeast pack it would be ruined.

The dry forms of yeast are really quite good these days anyway. Long ago, they were not so great, but in the last 10 years or so the quality has really improved. Mostly this is what I use now, unless I am after a particular style of beer, like a hefeweisen, or a true belgian style ale. For those, I go with the liquid cultures.

1/30/2009 -- is Rogue Pacman Ale Yeast in a activator pack or a propagator?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: All of our Wyeast liquid cultures come in Activator™ size packs (the larger size). The Activator™ is designed to inoculate five gallons of wort (up to 1.060 SG) providing the pitching rate recommended by professional brewers.

12/22/2008 -- I'm going to brew a 10 gallon batch. Should I use 2 packages of the dried Lager Yeast or is one enough?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: Use both. More yeast is a good thing, and it is virtually impossible to use too much yeast. It just gets off to a faster start, and does NOT contribute to a "yeasty" flavor. I have used 6-8 packs in some of my favorite brews!

Some brewers routinely "culture up" a HUGE yeast culture before adding it to their wort. An active, large yeast addition is probably the easiest thing you can do to improve your homebrew. Breweries know this, and use much larger yeast additions and WAY more than the typical home brewer. Guess what? That's one of the reasons they are successul!

4/27/2008 -- what are the pros and cons of the dry yeast included in your ingredient kits vs the optional wet yeast culture? i'm especially interested in whether one produces more alcohol over the other and viability of the yeasts after shipping, and i welcome any other info you care to share.

Response From Homebrew Heaven: Both dry yeasts and liquid yeast cultures are excellent products. Generally speaking, you would use a liquid yeast culture if you are trying to replicate a particular style (or brand) of beer. This is especially so with specialty beers, like hefeweizens, bocks, or lambics for instance. To give all the pro/cons for all styles would be a huge task.

A good source of information on liquid yeast cultures is the Wyeast website. It gives a rundown of all their cultures and viability information. Here is a link to their product selection section. For more alcohol, you would select one with a high attenuation value. That means it is capable of consuming more malt sugars (the yeast has a higher alcohol tolerance).

http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain.cfm

Liquid yeast cultures are fresh, and normal shipping is not a problem for them. If the shipping route crosses a very HOT area, it may make sense to add a frozen gel pack to your order to keep the liquid yeast cool for the trip. After it arrives you should put it into the refrigerator until the day before you brew.

4/24/2008 -- I've never bought liquid yeast online before and I was looking for a little encouragement before ordering. I live in hawaii and I'm concerned about the transit time and temp on the way. How does the wyeast hold up on jouneys like this? Thanks.

Response From Homebrew Heaven: Hawaii is not a problem. We use USPS Priority Mail, which arrives in 2 or 3 days. The Wyeast liquid yeast cultures do ok with that. If you are still concern, you can order a frozen gel pack to go in the same package, and will keep it cool for at least 1 or 2 of those days. We recommend doing that.

Additionally, there are some newly released ale yeasts, like Bier de Garde, that are intended to FERMENT at temperatures up to 95 deg F! They would certainly be good choices for Hawaii...

4/4/2008 -- After fermenting a batch of ale, what is the recommended method for storing the liquid yeast for subsequent use? How long can it be safely stored?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: It sounds like you are interested in "yeast harvesting". Here is some information from a past article in Brew Your Own Magazine:
******
Yeast storage and reuse is one of those topics that strikes fear in many homebrewers because of the importance yeast plays in beer quality and the real possibility of ruining a batch of beer with bad yeast. With that said, there are only a few key things to be mindful of with harvesting and storing yeast for use in subsequent brews.

Commercial brewers routinely harvest, store and reuse yeast because beginning every batch of beer with a new culture is not feasible without considerable investments in both time and equipment for large-scale yeast propagation. Furthermore, the quality of yeast available for harvest following fermentation is excellent in most breweries. The optimal time for harvesting yeast is after primary fermentation has completed, when yeast viability is high and the yeast is easy to crop either from the top of an ale fermentation or the bottom of the fermenter. This technique is most easily accomplished with the use of conical fermenters, which have become the norm.

Sanitation is of the utmost importance when harvesting yeast and all tools must be clean and sanitized prior to use. Since yeast slurries are rich in nutrients, especially as yeast ages, dies and autolyzes, bacteria can grow during storage and the slurry can turn into a source of bacterial contamination. With this being said, good techniques can be easily used to successfully harvest and store yeast.

Once harvested, the yeast slurry should be stored cold to minimize metabolic activity and loss of viability. The general practice in commercial breweries is to maintain the yeast slurry between 32 °F and 38 °F (0–4 °C) for a minimal time period before re-pitching. Most large breweries harvest yeast from the fermenter and store it in an agitated, cooled vessel to minimize hot spots in large volumes of yeast. At home, where much smaller volumes are used, a slurry can be easily maintained at a uniform temperature in the refrigerator. Many small brewers leave their yeast in the bottom of their conical fermenters and remove the yeast for re-use immediately before pitching. This method works well as long as the yeast does not sit in the bottom of the tank for an excessive time period following fermentation. Anything beyond two weeks is getting a bit long based on my experience.

A method I have successfully used in 5-gallon (19-L) batches fermented in carboys is to harvest the yeast after primary has completed and the yeast has settled to the bottom of the fermenter. Moving the carboy into a refrigerator greatly helps with yeast flocculation. The beer can be racked off the yeast into a secondary fermenter, keg or bottling bucket after about a week and the yeast can easily be recovered by swirling the sediment in the bottom of the carboy with a little beer left behind after racking. This slurry can then be poured out of the fermenter into a clean and sanitized storage container and placed in the refrigerator. I suggest using a glass container fitted with a sterile cotton plug or a plastic container with a screw top because yeast slurries can build up pressure even when stored cold.

When I was a student at UC Davis we used to go on annual trips to Sierra Nevada that were always a great deal of fun. Not only did we get a great tour of a great brewery, we were also given goodies to take back to Davis. On one such trip, we took two glass bottles used to autoclave and store microbiological media — these served as our yeast containers. When we returned to the lab we placed the yeast-filled bottles in a 39 °F (4 °C) cooler for future use. Later the next day, my friend Bill Cherry and I heard a noise from the cooler and discovered a huge mess caused by an exploding bottle in the cooler. We put on face shields and thick gloves to carefully open the remaining bottle. Suffice to say, these bottles with sealing caps were no longer used as little yeast brinks.

The other thing to consider when harvesting yeast for re-use is its history. I do not suggest harvesting yeast from high alcohol beers, beers that had a sluggish or unusual fermentation or from batches of beer brewed from “high generation” yeast. Every time yeast is used in fermentation its generation number increases. First generation yeast comes from a lab propagation. When the fermentation is complete and yeast is harvested, the next batch or batches contain second generation yeast (it is common to harvest enough yeast from one batch to brew two or three batches).

As the generation number increases, so does the likelihood of using yeast that has mutated and lost some of its desirable brewing qualities (such as flocculation characteristics). The potential for contamination also increases with each generation. Most commercial lager breweries do not use yeast older than 10 generations, while some ale brewers reportedly never go back to a lab culture and are always re-pitching yeast from a fermentation.

The huge difference between commercial brewing and homebrewing is frequency. While commercial brewers brew frequently (packaging breweries typically brew 24 hours a day, five to seven days per week), homebrewers are not so active! This makes rules
of thumb about the number of generations between buying yeast of little use because the storage time increases. One summer I had a group that I brewed with and we took turns brewing with our chosen strain to minimize the time between fermentations. This worked well since we all took cleaning and sanitation seriously and passed around the culture for several months without incident.
******
I hope that I gave you some useful information to address your question. Now for some unsolicited advice from Homebrew Heaven:

Bad yeast will wreck a brew, wasting both time and money in addition to creating a shortage in beer! There are several sources of very good homebrewing yeast out there and the price of yeast is relatively inexpensive in the grand scheme of things, especially if one values their free time. There are several reasons to re-use yeast, but if one is in doubt about technique and does not brew relatively often (every couple weeks), I would seriously consider the pitfalls before using this method on a routine basis.

1/26/2008 -- I live about an hour (if traffic is good) from the address on your website. Do you have an actual store or is everything here based solely online?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, we have an actual brick-and-mortar store in Everett, WA. People actually walk in and buy stuff!

Our address is:

Homebrew Heaven
9109 Evergreen Way
Everett, WA 98204

Here is a video of our shop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1a5fKvv8XI

Heck, you can actually call us on the phone, too! It's 425-355-8865. A person will actually answer as long as it's business hours!

5/13/2007 -- If I were to take the sediment of this lager yeast from the bottom of a primary fermentation and bottle it with a carb tab, and refridgerate it, could I store it, and innoculate a later batch? Technically how long could I store a culture like this, assuming sterile conditions?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, you can do that, but don't add a carb tab. It would cause it to carbonate in the bottle. Use an airlock on the bottle, and if you want to "feed" your yeast, add a very little dry malt extract instead.

Under sterile conditions, you can store yeast this way for a LONG time. Some breweries do this, and maintain the original strain for a hundred years or more. We don't recommend that home brewers do this, due to the levels of sanitation required, but you should be able to use that original yeast 4-5 times without any problem.

11/5/2006 -- I live in Seattle, can I come and pick up the bottles in Everett? Do you have a "brick and mortar" store?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: You sure can. It is literally made of bricks and mortar, in South Everett. Our address is:

Homebrew Heaven
9109 Evergreen Way
Everett, WA 98204
425-355-8865

Hours are 10-6:30 M-F
and 9:30-5 on Saturdays

Here is a video of the place:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1a5fKvv8XI

Take a look around!

5/17/2005 -- Does the Wyeast package ever blow up?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: You mean explode? They don't seem to. We've had one at our front counter that has been there for about a year. It gets really, really large, and tight, but it has not blown out.

3/17/2005 -- My first time brewing. I smacked the pack, but not hard enough. I poured in the yeast and found the small pack was not mixed with the yeast, so I opened the package and poured it in and stirred it in. It is the next day, and it looks like it may be fermenting. Should everything work?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, it should be fine. The small (inner)pack IS the yeast. On the outside of that is the yeast nutrient media. It may take a little longer to get going, is all.

1/21/2005 -- WELL THIS MAY BE SILLY BUT I HAVE TO ASK.
I WILL SOON BE MAKING THE BELGIAN ALE I WILL BE USING THE LIQUID YEAST ,
I ACTIVATED THE YEAST BY SLAPPING IT
AND NOW THAT IT HAS SWELLED THERE FEELS LIKE THERE IS THIS SPONGEY LUMPY THING IN THERE
1. IS THIS NORMAL
2. WHEN I ADD THE YEAST TO MY WORT DOES THE SPONGEY MASS GO IN TOO?
3. HOW LONG WILL THE ACTIVATED YEAST BE OK LEFT IN THE SWOLLEN POUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO WAIT FOR MY ANSWER BEFORE GOING AHEAD WITH MY BREW?
AND THANK YOU THIS IS A GREAT RESOURCE. IT MAKES THIS HOBBY SO MUCH MORE FUN KNOWING THAT THERE ARE PROS OUT THERE FOR ME TO TURN TO WITH MY QUESTIONS.

Response From Homebrew Heaven: 1. Yes, this is normal.

The yeast, before your smacked it, was inside a small plastic pouch inside the larger package. Smacking it ruptures the inner pouch, and the yeast mixes with nutrients, causing it the large pouch to swell. No problem.

2. No, just pour out the liquid, and leave the plastic pouch behind.

3. Leaving the yeast for a couple of days, maybe a week, shouldn't be a problem.

5/24/2004 -- Using a Belgian Abbey Wyeast smack pack, I made a yeast starter. I used 16oz water and 1/2 cup DME. How long can I keep it in the air-locked flask? Should I put it in the fridge at some point? I wanted to make up my Belgian Ale about a week after making the starter in the flask - is this too long? Will it go bad?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: It is BEST to use it when it is at full krausen (peak activity), whenever that is. If you can't use it then, it can be kept for a few more days, maybe a week or so if you don't open it. Don't refrigerate it, that doesn't help. No, it doesn't go "bad", it just goes dormant.

If the bubbling slows way down, you can feed it some more malt extract the day before you need it, and the activity will pick up.

4/26/2004 -- I started my first attempt at homebrewing and am seeking some follow up advice.

Using wyeast #1028 London which had been refridgerated up until 3 hours before pitching. I followed the instructions in terms of the smack pack and allowed it to rest at room temperature but then pitched it directly in to the Wort (cooled to 70oF) after only 3 hours.

Will the yeast still activate or did I need to give it more time before pitching? There was no activity in the fermenter this morning and I guess I' afraid I needed to give the yeast a full 24 hours before pitching.

Response From Homebrew Heaven: As long as you "smacked" the inner pouch as directed on the package, it should still ferment. It WILL take much longer to see activity, however (maybe 48 hrs, even longer sometimes).

Additionally, I don't see your name as one of our customers. We keep our yeast FRESH...if it was purchased elsewhere, it may be old. If that is the case, it may be a LONG wait. Hard to say.

12/6/2003 -- if i am using a smack pack and planned on brewing tomorrow afternoon do I need to smack it today? how long does it take to be ready to use on the averge?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes. You need to allow about 1/2 to 1 day incubation time for each month since it's "manufacture date". This date is imprinted on the edge of the package.

11/17/2003 -- I am new to homebrewing. I just brewed my third batch last Friday. Much to my surprise, I noticed some initial activity by Saturday AM...much quicker than my first two attempts. By Sunday AM, foam was billowing out of the fermentation lock. So, I fashioned a blow-off tube in its place, and the thing has been belching foam ever since.

The first two liquid yeasts that I used were American Lager and London Ale. This time I used German Lager yeast. Is this activity the "extremely rocky head" that German Ales yeast is supposed to produce? Or do I have some serious problems with my Altbier?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: This is not uncommon. You will find differences in the activity due to different yeast strains, temperature, the "freshness" of the yeast, pitching temperatures and lots of other things. To have a fast, vigorous fermentation is a GOOD thing. The little critters must have had nearly ideal conditions this time.

You did exactly the right thing by allowing the foam to blow off. I wouldn't expect any problems with this batch. Enjoy!

10/13/2003 -- Hi, I was just wondering what the highest possible amount of alcohol is that a beer yeast can live in? I am planning on making a strong beer, and I want the alcohol to be at about 8-9%, so I just want to know if this will be achievable with just beer yeast? Or will I need to add champagne yeast to the fermentation, after the beer yeast has done it's job?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: A good question. The alcohol tolerance of beer yeast varies with the strain of yeast, the amount of yeast added in the beginning, temperature, nutrients present, oxygenation and probably many other factors.

GENERALLY speaking a good quality ale yeast, like Nottingham, when used in sufficient quantity, is capable of fermenting to about 9% alcohol. Some liquid cultures, like Wyeast Trappist High Gravity #3787, are capable of going to 12% with proper care and feeding. Be sure to aerate your wort well, and use more than the usual amount of yeast to achieve it.

Adding a wine yeast, like champagne yeast, (after fermentation with a beer yeast)is always an option if you need to. If residual sugars are left (a high ending gravity) this may be necessary to complete the fermentation. When done in this way, your beer is called a barleywine!

10/12/2003 -- I AM BREWING BEER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS AND I ALWAYS USED DRY YEAST ,I HAVE HEARD THAT WET YEAST MAKES A MUCH BETTER BEER ,I HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THE BASIC KNOWLEGE OF BEER BREWING (NOT A COMPLETE DUMMY ) BUT FAR FROM A EXPERIENCED BREWER WOULD YOU RECOMMEND ME TRYING WET YEAST ,AND DOES THE PACKAGE TAKE YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS STEP BY STEP OR EASILY?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: The new liquid yeasts are definately a good line of products. The dry yeasts have improved over the years as well, however.

I would use the liquid yeasts for when you are trying to "capture" a particular beer style, like a hefeweizen, a belgian abbey ale, or a Guiness clone. The many different strains that are now available make this possible, and even easy! Yes, there are instructions on the package on how to activate and use these cultures.

If you are not trying to replicate a particular beer, or beer style, the dry yeasts are hard to beat. They work fast, are inexpensive, and less suseptable to aging and temperature problems.

In short, the choice is yours. It is certianly nice that we now have such a range of products.

9/20/2003 -- I ordered some of this with the liquid yeast here recently. When in the initial brewing stage, I mixed in the liquid yeast as per instuctions, and 24 hours into the brew, I saw no action at all in the check valve, so I removed the check valve, and added the dry yeast I had that also came with the package. Upon entering the secondary fermentation stage, there seems to be a slightly different odor than my first batch, slightly less sweet....reminescent of a German lager.
Did I mess up my beer by adding the dry yeast? IS there anything I should worry about? I did a taste test, and so far, it seems ok, but until the first bottle is opened, you truly never know.

Response From Homebrew Heaven: Nothing to worry about at all! I'm certain it will turn out just fine. Many people, when using liquid yeasts are unaccustomed to the longer "lag" time they experience comparded to dry yeasts. This is entirely normal.

For your next batch, however, I would wait for the liquid yeast to kick in. It will, it just takes longer.

You can avoid this longer lag time by building a "starter culture" prior to adding to your wort. Very easy to do, and makes sense especially with lagers and high gravity beers.

8/7/2003 -- Are these liquid yeasts one shots? or are there multiple batches in a pack?
Is it a smash pack?

Response From Homebrew Heaven: Typically, people use them as "one shot" per batch. Because of their superb purity, however, it is possible to make a small culture and save it for another batch or more. Instructions are on the pack, but basically, you just "feed" the yeast a little malt to grow a culture. A wine bottle or jug works well for this. Be certain that everything is sterile, and use an airlock.

Yes, these are often called "smack packs". To get them going, you smack the inner pouch to rupture it. The yeast then mixes with the nutrient in the outer pack, and the pack swells up. When this occurs, it is ready to use!

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