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Author Topic: Dry yeast expiration date  (Read 4083 times)

Offline Steve Ruch

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Re: Dry yeast expiration date
« Reply #15 on: December 12, 2020, 11:32:29 am »
Two batches ago I brewed a bitter with Muntons  that had a 11/16 date. It worked fine.
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Offline dmtaylor

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Re: Dry yeast expiration date
« Reply #16 on: December 12, 2020, 01:30:28 pm »
Two batches ago I brewed a bitter with Muntons  that had a 11/16 date. It worked fine.

I love Munton's ale yeast because it's so damn cheap.  I think my last pack was... wait, I can even look it up..... heh.... $1.13, including tax!  And made a  great stout that won a gold.  I should use it way more often.  The "drawback" is the terrible attenuation, I got just 56%.  But hey, if the beer tastes good, who cares.  Could always increase the OG and/or do an overnight mash (low & slow = the way to go) to help compensate for the low attenuation.
Dave

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Offline Northern_Brewer

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Re: Dry yeast expiration date
« Reply #17 on: December 12, 2020, 01:39:04 pm »
I know a fellow brewer who routinely uses dry yeast ~2 yrs past its printed expiration date. He reports no problems with it. I have not used dry brewing yeast this old but I have used bakers yeast that was 6 yrs past its printed expiration date, and it made perfectly good bread. Yeah I know, totally different strains, not an apples-to-apples comparison, but the point is that dry yeast is hardy as hell. Two years old should be fine.

Pah, I've made bread with dry yeast that was 18 years past it (at ambient as well, not fridged) - it didn't quite rise as much as fresh, but it still basicly worked.

Offline BrewBama

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Re: Dry yeast expiration date
« Reply #18 on: December 12, 2020, 03:14:31 pm »
Two batches ago I brewed a bitter with Muntons  that had a 11/16 date. It worked fine.

I love Munton's ale yeast because it's so damn cheap.  I think my last pack was... wait, I can even look it up..... heh.... $1.13, including tax!  And made a  great stout that won a gold.  I should use it way more often.  The "drawback" is the terrible attenuation, I got just 56%.  But hey, if the beer tastes good, who cares.  Could always increase the OG and/or do an overnight mash (low & slow = the way to go) to help compensate for the low attenuation.
That level of AA sounds like some of the old Ron Pattinson recipes. Those English strains get some remarkably low AA.


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Offline Bel Air Brewing

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Re: Dry yeast expiration date
« Reply #19 on: December 13, 2020, 11:10:23 am »
I know a fellow brewer who routinely uses dry yeast ~2 yrs past its printed expiration date. He reports no problems with it. I have not used dry brewing yeast this old but I have used bakers yeast that was 6 yrs past its printed expiration date, and it made perfectly good bread. Yeah I know, totally different strains, not an apples-to-apples comparison, but the point is that dry yeast is hardy as hell. Two years old should be fine.

Pah, I've made bread with dry yeast that was 18 years past it (at ambient as well, not fridged) - it didn't quite rise as much as fresh, but it still basicly worked.

We have baked bread with yeast that was 1 year out of date. Results? Should have bought fresh yeast.

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Offline Steve Ruch

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Re: Dry yeast expiration date
« Reply #20 on: December 13, 2020, 11:34:57 am »
Two batches ago I brewed a bitter with Muntons  that had a 11/16 date. It worked fine.

I love Munton's ale yeast because it's so damn cheap.  I think my last pack was... wait, I can even look it up..... heh.... $1.13, including tax!  And made a  great stout that won a gold.  I should use it way more often.  The "drawback" is the terrible attenuation, I got just 56%.  But hey, if the beer tastes good, who cares.  Could always increase the OG and/or do an overnight mash (low & slow = the way to go) to help compensate for the low attenuation.
I got 69% in a bitter: 1.034-1.0105, and 68% in a mild: 1037-1.012.
I love to go swimmin'
with hairy old women

Offline Northern_Brewer

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Re: Dry yeast expiration date
« Reply #21 on: December 13, 2020, 05:11:46 pm »
That level of AA sounds like some of the old Ron Pattinson recipes. Those English strains get some remarkably low AA.

Bear in mind that a lot of Ron's attenuations are based on pre-racking gravities, they went down lower in the cask.

Also the malt wouldn't have been as well converted as modern malt.