Liquid yeast question...

[kkelly3201]

Hi all, new person here, so this may be a silly question...I am brewing my second batch currently and decided to go out on a limb and try some wyeast liquid yeast (weihenstephen) in my hefeweizen. The "smack pack" said that I am to burst the inner pouch and wait 3 hours OR pitch immediately. I hadn't really set aside enough time to allow for the yeast to fully culture for 3 hours, so I went with the "pitch immediately" option. Now I'm a bit nervous as to whether or not it was the best option or if I may have misunderstood the writing and ruined my beer. I am currently using a Mr.Beer kit (I told you guys I was new) and it doesn't have an airlock system for me to be able to tell if the beer is fermenting.

Am I safe or should I be concerned? Thank you all for your time.

[MaltLicker]

As to the yeast, it may depend on the pack you got.  The age of the package affects the viability quite a bit, so check the date on the package for some indication of how fresh those cells were.  Wyeast packs have that small amount of food in them that helps wake the yeast and get them into eating mode, so using that time is the best.  Even better is making a starter.  Though not required, and packs will make beer, I think it makes good sense to ensure that the pack to which one is about to entrust a day's labor and ingredients is healthy and able to make a great beer is worth the effort. 

I think your results this time are hard to predict.  The longer it takes for the yeast to get going, the more opportunity for something bad to get a foothold.  Once the yeast does get going, there should be enough CO2 outgassing to keep out more nasties, but you'll want to package this beer soon after the fermentation is complete and it has been at a terminal gravity for a couple days.  If your vessel is not airtight, you'll want to minimize the days it is sitting without positive out-flow from CO2. 

[MikeinWA]

Was the yeast bag expanded? If so, then they were doing just fine.  I use  wyeast all the time and prefer it over white labs.  I have pitched it in all stages. From just popping  and dumping it(not preferable but it works) to fully expanded and about to pop.

I have never used a Mr. beer kit and if I read your post correctly...the primary fermention container does not have any airlock for the co2 to off gas?

[MikeinWA]

OK I did My Mr beer research and it does say it has an airlock just not one filled with water to see if the offgas was happening.

Again, for two gallons of beer I think one packet of wyeast smacked and poured in directly will be fine. It should in fact start faster than the dry yest your used to putting in.

[kkelly3201]

Thank you both, you've eased my nerves.

And you are right, I guess I may have chosen the wrong terminology. I meant it didn't have an actual airlock device with the liquid in it that is common to most other home brew kits.