Old yeast, do starter?
- Thread starter chudsonvt
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
I would use the following online yeast calculator to determine how many cells you need for the batch of beer you are making. But without crunching the numbers quickly, I would say yes do a starter. Good luck!
http://www.brewunited.com/yeast_calculator.php
Also... If it's a yeast strain you want to use again, figure out how much of a starter you need to double it. Then pitch half and save the other half for your next brew. Then you have clean yeast to grow again. I do this with all the yeasts I buy so I can use them multiple times and have great success.
http://www.brewunited.com/yeast_calculator.php
Also... If it's a yeast strain you want to use again, figure out how much of a starter you need to double it. Then pitch half and save the other half for your next brew. Then you have clean yeast to grow again. I do this with all the yeasts I buy so I can use them multiple times and have great success.
short answer: definitely do a starter. a big one.
a lot of calculators out there will tell you that past 4 months or so your yeast viability is zero. Don't take this literally. It may be 5% or 10% or 20% or whatever.
But it's not zero. I have used 6 month and also 1 year old yeast in a starter (and then pitched into a beer) and it worked pretty well. I have even pitched it directly and it worked ok - probably not ideal, so starter is definitely a great option.
Others have reported similar experiences, I believe.
OP
OP
chudsonvt
Well-Known Member
I have decided I will do a starter. I'll calculate how big in the morning and then brew Sunday. Thanks!
