# I'm so stupid! Need HELP! smack pack



## Mumazilla (Jun 23, 2017)

Sometimes, I think my elevator gets stuck on stupid!

I need help! So, first time ever using a smack pack yeast. I read the directions, but failed to grasp the instructions, because. I opened the pack, smacked the little package inside the wet pack, thinking it broke open and I was sold a bad product, and not able to wait 3 hours, dumped that contents in my BOMM. And then as I poured the big package down the drain, I had that "oh, I did something wrong" light bulb.

What's in that other package that just went into my mead? (sigh, I'm going to bed)...


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## opus345 (Jun 23, 2017)

You probably did not hurt the mead, but you haven't added the yeast yet either.

"Activator™ packages include sterile liquid nutrient pouch that, when “smacked”, releases its contents into the yeast slurry and “activates” the package. The available nutrients initiate the culture’s metabolism which in turn generates CO₂ and causes swelling of the package. This process will reduce lag times by preparing the yeast for a healthy fermentation prior to inoculation. Activation also serves as a viability test of the culture. Expansion of the package is an indicator of healthy (viable and vital) yeast. Although beneficial, cultures do not need to be activated prior to inoculation."

https://wyeastlab.com/smack-pack-wine


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## Mumazilla (Jun 23, 2017)

Thank you. Boy, do I feel bad. But, today is a new day. So, I live easily 2 hours one way for yeast, so, if I have an active ferment of mead going (using 1116), can I add some to this batch? I know it will no longer be the BOMM, but I don't want to waste it. All I have on hand are wine yeasts.


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## BernardSmith (Jun 23, 2017)

Don't feel bad. The very best way to learn anything is by making mistakes. 
Not ever made a BOMM but the underlying idea behind a BOMM is that it is designed to be ready for drinking in a very short time - much like a beer and very much unlike what most mead makers view as a required time for aging (years). Denard's approach (Bray Denard created the BOMM recipe) was to look for an ale yeast that would ferment clean and quickly. But you can make mead quickly by adopting a different style. The higher the ABV the longer a mead needs to age, and the lower the ABV the less time it needs. If you have choose a flavor-rich honey and you aim for a starting gravity around 1.060 and not 1.100 or higher, and you opt for a yeast such as 71B or D47 and you don't stint on either the nutrients or the yeast cell count (1 pack per gallon) and you ferment at the higher end of the yeast's temperature preference, and if you aim for a sparkling rather than a still sweet mead you can be enjoying your mead in 4 - 6 weeks.


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