Dry yeast - How expired is too expired?

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MorningGloryBrew

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Picked up ingredients from the LHBS for a steeping/extract trippel to be brewed this weekend. I got home and realized the dry yeast packets they gave me (S-33) expired in April 2009.

Assuming the yeast packets were kept refrigerated the whole time, will they kick in and do their job? Or should I brave the traffic and get newer yeast? (The store is a good 30 minutes away and involves maddening traffic... and I would need to take an hour off work since they close at 6 during the week.)

I'm still pretty pissed that they sold me something that's been expired for a year+.
 
Oh yeah, I'd be irritated too! I'm in the same situation. Too far from LHBS to be given old yeast! Call him up and let him have it!

Can you boil up a little of the brew and create a starter for it? Or do you have some leftover LME or DME or even some malt grain you can crush and steep? By using a starter you can know right away if you got ripped off or not.
 
I would do a starter to keep my mind at ease; however, modern techniques to create dry yeast produces an extremely stable product so you are likely to be fine.
 
I would make a starter a day or two before brewing. If it takes off, great. If not, then you have to brave the traffic. Even though it was only a couple of bucks, I would still mention it when I went in. It is up to them if they want to take your word that they sold you some old stuff and make it right. But it will at least give some insight as to whether you want to spend any more money there or start ordering from some of our great online vendors here.
 
Make a starter. The yeast is probably okay, as-is, but a starter would take care of any problem.
 
I think the just pitching it, and not building a starter. If it doesnt work repitch with fresh yeast...
 
pitch it. it should work. i have some yeast that expired in april 2009 also, and when the time comes for me to use it, i'm just going to pitch also
 
Thanks for the replies, everybody. I was all set to just pitch it (and potentially re-pitch if fermentation didn't kick off), but it turns out that SWMBO will be near the LHBS on Friday... so for the moment, I'm planning on returning the yeast and getting packets that are fresh... or at least less drastically expired. ;)
 
I have several packets of S-05 that expired in sept 2009, I simply make starters for these so I can use them up, I havent had a bad packet yet, all take off fine and the beers made with the starters taste great.
 
Rehydrate, that will tell you that it is viable.

The date on Safale yeast packets is normally the production date and then you have 2 years from that date. Are you sure it is expired?
 
I just used a pack of US-05 that expired last month. It blew the stopper out of the carboy last night.
 
Yeah, me too. Last week I used a packet of WB-06 that expired on 03 2010, and it´s turning out great. But it was only 4 months expired, not a whole year
 
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