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Author Topic: Expiration on Yeast  (Read 1489 times)

Offline nicosan1

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Expiration on Yeast
« on: March 14, 2015, 02:03:00 pm »
I have two packs of WY 1217, West Coast IPA and was going to do a 6-6.5% IPA with the packs. They were packed on October 18 of last year. Do you guys think its still useful to try to make a starter and use these packs?  Just want to know. Otherwise I can go with US-05

Offline majorvices

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Re: Expiration on Yeast
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2015, 02:17:23 pm »
Yeah, with a starter they should be fine.

Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Expiration on Yeast
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2015, 02:19:49 pm »
^^^ What he said
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Offline brewinhard

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Re: Expiration on Yeast
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2015, 02:24:46 pm »
I have had better luck with expired Wyeast packs vs. White labs.  One tip though - don't make an overly large starter to put too much stress on the yeast and if the starter fermentation appears odd visually to you (or tastes/smells off) for whatever reason then don't use the yeast.  Last summer I tried to start up two 1.5 mos past expiration date vials of WL 530 in a  1.5 L starter on a stir plate.  I never saw a krausen or even any streaming bubbles of CO2 rising.  But the wort was literally "spraying" (for better words) off the surface of the starter.  The yeast did propagate, but when I pitched the ample starter into a low gravity patersbier (1.046) the resulting beer had some plasticy off-flavors I don't get in beers with healthy starters.  Just my observations.

Offline nicosan1

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Re: Expiration on Yeast
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2015, 03:26:44 pm »
So for two packs together, would you suggest a smaller starter? 1L? I was thinking of doing 1.5L w/ two packs cuz its just this one 1.056-1.059 beer i plan to make. 

Offline flars

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Re: Expiration on Yeast
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2015, 10:25:01 pm »
So for two packs together, would you suggest a smaller starter? 1L? I was thinking of doing 1.5L w/ two packs cuz its just this one 1.056-1.059 beer i plan to make.
I think brewinhard means a lower SG starter for the first step.  Make up a 1.010 starter to prevent stress on the yeast.  Step two can be a typical 1.038 SG.  Start with one liter then move up to 1.5, or greater, to get the cell propagation you need.

Offline Steve Ruch

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Re: Expiration on Yeast
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2015, 10:15:43 am »
I have two packs of WY 1217, West Coast IPA and was going to do a 6-6.5% IPA with the packs. They were packed on October 18 of last year. Do you guys think its still useful to try to make a starter and use these packs?  Just want to know. Otherwise I can go with US-05
You can salvage yeast that is way older than that.
Flag porter is partially made with yeast salvaged from a bottle of beer that had set on the bottom of the English channel for over 100 years.
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