I decided to brew a batch of beer yesterday that I had bought in febuary. It's a Long Peaks raspberry wheat clone, using a Wyeast pack (1028 London Ale)
So first thing I do is take the Wyeast package out of the fridge(where it has been since I bought it) and pop the nutrient pocket, as per directions. As I was reading the package it explains that it's best used within 6 months of date on front. If not it may just take longer. The date on front was Jan 18th 2011. So as the wyeast package sits for 3 hours+ the bag did NOT expand much at all (if any)like it has for me in the past. So now at 5 hours I'm ready to pitch and bag has not changed in size. I go ahead and pour it in anyway figuring I'm a tad under 6 months age......it's gotta work. Then I start thinking?????????what if they are dead? what if it's a bum package,what if,what if. What do I do? Panic, and go into fridge and grab another Wyeast package from another kit with a Jan 25th 2011 date, pop the pocket shake it up and pour it into my wort along with the first package of yeast. So today I check my brew and I Know don't use the air lock as a fermentation gauge, but.... the water in the air lock is still dead even in both tubes(S type) at the very least I was looking for some CO2 movement to push the water into the one tube. I had a S.G. of 1.05 I want to give it a full 24hrs before I recheck. So my question is. If fermentation did not start and I go buy yet another fresh package of Wyeast can I save this batch? Is that too much yeast even thou they are dead? Is putting in dead yeast going to effect this beer? Does the wort spoil from sitting too long before pitching?
So first thing I do is take the Wyeast package out of the fridge(where it has been since I bought it) and pop the nutrient pocket, as per directions. As I was reading the package it explains that it's best used within 6 months of date on front. If not it may just take longer. The date on front was Jan 18th 2011. So as the wyeast package sits for 3 hours+ the bag did NOT expand much at all (if any)like it has for me in the past. So now at 5 hours I'm ready to pitch and bag has not changed in size. I go ahead and pour it in anyway figuring I'm a tad under 6 months age......it's gotta work. Then I start thinking?????????what if they are dead? what if it's a bum package,what if,what if. What do I do? Panic, and go into fridge and grab another Wyeast package from another kit with a Jan 25th 2011 date, pop the pocket shake it up and pour it into my wort along with the first package of yeast. So today I check my brew and I Know don't use the air lock as a fermentation gauge, but.... the water in the air lock is still dead even in both tubes(S type) at the very least I was looking for some CO2 movement to push the water into the one tube. I had a S.G. of 1.05 I want to give it a full 24hrs before I recheck. So my question is. If fermentation did not start and I go buy yet another fresh package of Wyeast can I save this batch? Is that too much yeast even thou they are dead? Is putting in dead yeast going to effect this beer? Does the wort spoil from sitting too long before pitching?