Has anyone had any problems with this yeast strain?
I popped my activator pack yesterday late afternoon and I didn't see any activity before I headed to bed. I check it right before I headed to bed and verified the packet inside was popped and sure enough it was and still virtually no swelling (almost looks like a small swell, but not sure). This morning I figured I had nothing to lose by opening it up and throwing it in my starter. It smelt kind of funky too. I happen to have another pack of the same strain, so I'll probably make another starter and see if maybe that is just the natural funk of the yeast.
The package is still young (manufactured 22Jun10), was refrigerated as soon as it arrived, and has been in my household refrigerator, so it's condition should be strong.
I don't normally use an airlock when I make a starter, but I threw one on today to monitor it's progress.
Any other suggestions?