# wyeast <how to use it>



## brew master (Feb 18, 2009)

new to beer making ,they said need 2 days for wyeast to work.is that true.can someone help .thanks


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## smurfe (Feb 19, 2009)

It depends on if you use the Propagator or Activator packets. If you are not going to make a starter and just smack the pack to make the starter always get the Activator pack as it has 100 Billion plus cells compared to the 25 billion plus cells the Propagator pack holds. If you use the Propagator you really should make a starter out of the contents to build up the cell count. Most think they are making a starter with the smack packs but you really need the Activator pack for that. 


Now, the two days thing. You don't really need to wait that long. I would smack it the night before though. Two days is actually the longest you would want to go before using the yeast. It is fine to do it but the night before is fine. I have smacked a pack in the morning before and used it later in that afternoon. 


The Wyeast Activator smack packs are excellent choices for using liquid yeast if you can't or don't want to make a yeast starter. Remember, the Activator packs have at least 4 times the yeast cells a Propagator pack have and only cost a buck or two more.


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## brew master (Feb 19, 2009)

Thanks,its the propagator pack,thats what they gave me at the store with the kit (scottish ale).the next time i will try the activator pack like you said.Thanks


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## Waldo (Feb 19, 2009)

You can read all about the Activator packs here brew master


http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_productdetail.cfm?ProductID=16


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## smurfe (Feb 19, 2009)

Good luck, try to make a starter if you can. I really wish shops would explain that stuff to their customers. The better success the brewer has the more they will come back and buy.


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## Waldo (Feb 19, 2009)

I dont understand that either smurfe...I guess it may bepartially due to a lack of knowledge on their part about what they are selling.


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## Dean (Feb 19, 2009)

They probably just pitch a propagator pack and say "it takes 2 days for it to start working". That's a pretty big lag time for beer. I wonder how many sour batches they've had?


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## smurfe (Feb 22, 2009)

I'll add as well that the cell count in a Wyeast Activator pack and a vial of White Labs yeast are approximate the same. White Labs says 75-150 billion cells per vial, Wyeast says 100 billion cells per smack pack. Now pitching one pack of the Activator is better than dumping one vial of White Labs as it will make a small starter and get the yeast active. It is still best to learn to make a starter and utilize this easy skill to elevate your brewing. It is easy to do and pays off in the long run.


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## dragonmaster42 (Feb 24, 2009)

Smurfe,not to change the subject too much, but how would you recommend making a starter for a White Labs vial? I got one at my LHBS for a stout but have never used it before.


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## smurfe (Feb 24, 2009)

dragonmaster42 said:


> Smurfe,not to change the subject too much, but how would you recommend making a starter for a White Labs vial? I got one at my LHBS for a stout but have never used it before.






It is very easy to make a starter. You need water, some Dried Malt Extract (DME) and a sanitized jar. Instead of typing it all out here is a link that explains it very well.


http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-5.html


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## dragonmaster42 (Feb 24, 2009)

Just like proofing it for bread. That's easy enough. Thanks.


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## brew master (Feb 27, 2009)

is there a extract kit that taste like a heineken light.if so what is it or a web site.Thanks


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## smurfe (Feb 28, 2009)

brew master said:


> is there a extract kit that taste like a heineken light.if so what is it or a web site.Thanks




You will need to find a Light Continental Pilsner kit to make something similar to that. I just want to throw out to you that if you are trying to clone or duplicate a particular beer, you will be hard pressed to do that with an extract kit. If you obtain the proper yeast and in this example lager your beer you will come close but you will have to use a decent lager yeast and have a fridge available that is temp controlled to lager in. 


Now this said, you can make excellent beers with the extract kits, just don't expect them to taste or look exactlylike the commercial examples they always seem to list. 


You can buy a Continental Pilsner kit here. If you want to find a light version do a Google search to see what else is available out there. 





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Continental Pilsner


This beer can be enjoyed anytime to quench your thirst. A light beer with the infamous hop character from the Czech Saaz hop.


All recipes conform to the AHA Style Guidelines &amp; include all the ingredients with proven recipes to produce prize-winning brews.


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## brew master (Feb 28, 2009)

Thanks thats all i was looking for....


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## brew master (Apr 8, 2009)

thanks to all,my beerMERLINS ALE 80 SHILLING came out great.Iam ready to bottle my SW1 PALE ALE this weekend.and then i have a CZECH PILSNER next but need cool temps for that i guess .and i just did a ALLJUICE kit (PINOT NOIR)that i just started last weekend.so thanks to all for get me started and now i cant stop.THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP


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