How do I handle a free vial of old yeast?

A friend of mine was going to toss out an old, unused vial of WLP802 Czech Budejovice Lager Yeast with an expiration date of Sept 2010. I took it off his hands instead and am making a starter to try and salvage it. My first step is 500ml of 1.040 wort on a stirplate, but there's very little sign of any activity. In all my previous starters with fresh yeast, it's pretty clear when to decant and add more starter wort. With this one, I'm not sure. How can I tell when it's time to step up the starter? Taste? Amount of yeast in the bottom after cold crashing. Should I have used a different procedure in the first place?

I would put it in the fridge for a day or so, then decant and take a gravity reading. Then you're ready to step up.

_

Weather it is 500 ml or 5000 ml you are only going to get so much growth. 500 ml may have been big for the amount of yeast left viable. 250 ml may have been better, i don`t know what it looked like before you started. Like WW said, cool it and do a step up, Given the slow growth I would probably do a 500 ml again because there have been cases of yeast being overwhelmed by too much food....i know it sounds stupid but......

P.S. Did you use any nutrient? That would help a lot in a 250 ml first step with weak yeast.

VB

36 hours later there's no change in the gravity. I think I'm going to toss it.

Wait at least 4-5 days before tossing any yeast out.

M_C

mvnegassi said:

36 hours later there's no change in the gravity. I think I'm going to toss it.

Click to expand...