24 hour yeast starter?

[Col_klink]

Hi all,
I bought a smack pack the other day from my LHBS. I noticed it was 5 months old and expressed my concern to the guy there who insisted it would be fine. Well, the packet barely swelled at all after about 8 hours but I went ahead and made my starter anyway. It does not look like the starter is doing much either. I just intermittently shake it and usually I can see and increase in sediment when the yeast settle; nothing here. I just dont think these yeast are viable.

So I am going to buy another pack from a different LHBS today. Problem is, i am brewing tomorrow. My question; should I bother making another starter this afternoon and let it go for only 24 hours and then use it? Will I get much benefit from just 24 hours? I'm sure it will be fine just using the smack pack without a starter; but I always make one. Just not sure if it is worth it if it will only go for 24 hours. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

-Klink

 

[JonM]

Jeez, maybe you should go back to that first LHBS and tell them they sold you dead yeast and make them give you a replacement at no charge. Hell, they should give you as many packs as it takes to get a proper pitch.

 

[palys2]

Depending on your OG, you should be fine directly pitching a single wyeast smack pack. I've done it as high as 1.070 with good results.

Don't give up on the old yeast. I just revived some two year old yeast that I got for free (wlp099). You can store your starter for another brew.

 

[Col_klink]

Jeez, maybe you should go back to that first LHBS and tell them they sold you dead yeast and make them give you a replacement at no charge. Hell, they should give you as many packs as it takes to get a proper pitch.

Don't get me started on that store! This was the only Wyeast 1010 they had left. Two weeks ago I went in and they ran out of 2-row. Yes 2-row!!!! C'mon Man! The only reason I still go there is that it is 10 minutes from my house; the other store is across town. I guess I am lucky to have 2 stores nearby but geez.

 

[unionrdr]

I've been in this same situation, as I'm sure many of us have with the Wyeast smack packs. Some swell more than others, even if they're relatively fresh. I've pitched decently swelled packs in worts of around 1.060 OG with good results. But with a tube of WL029, it was half frozen a month or two ago by the time it shipped to me. So I made a small 850mL starter with .15ozs of LME. The recipe I made called for 3lbs, & the Maillard Malts jug is 3.15. So the odd amount was used in this small starter to perk up the yeast & make a few more cells. It took 2 days for it to finish & start settling out. I cold crashed it in the fridge a day or so before brew day. Letting it warm up on the counter while brewing till pitch time. Then I sanitize a small skewer that'll fit into the Erlenmeyer flask to stir it up before pitching. Works well in scenarios like this.

 

[MagicMatt]

Starters with relatively fresh yeast should only take 24 hours, so yes of course you could just buy a new one today and create a starter for tomorrow.

I just used a 6 month old Wyeast smack pack (bought from the store the day before brewing, already 6 months old). I created a starter for 24 hours, but that's because it's all the time I had. If I would have known the yeast was going to be so old, I would have given it 2-3 days on the starter.

Anyway, I used the 24 hour starter with 6 month old yeast, and it took about 40 hours for it to start fermenting. But it did it's job just fine.

 

[kh54s10]

You may want to get a new pack and let it go for 24 hours. (that time is better than none) I use a stirplate and usually go 18-24 hours. Intermittent shaking generally takes longer. Normally I would suggest 36-48 hours with intermittent shaking.

Don't give up on the first starter though. It is likely good, but you are starting with very few viable cells.

I recommend making a starter whenever using liquid yeast unless the gravity of the recipe is VERY low. Say, 1.035 or less.

Will the yeast ferment bigger beers? - Yes, but you risk off flavors from the stressed yeast that have to reproduce first then start fermenting the beer.

 

[doug293cz]

Don't get me started on that store! This was the only Wyeast 1010 they had left. Two weeks ago I went in and they ran out of 2-row. Yes 2-row!!!! C'mon Man! The only reason I still go there is that it is 10 minutes from my house; the other store is across town. I guess I am lucky to have 2 stores nearby but geez.

Many years ago, when I worked at McDonalds, we ran out of hamburger patties! During the lunch rush no less!

Brew on

 

[Malticulous]

I make my starters out of the same wort. I'll have the full fermenters cooled and waiting as the starters go. When the starters start to gas of CO2 I pitch them. It can take as little as a few hours with healthy yeast. I've never had any problems doing this even with my last brew doing it. It was a 10 gallon batch with two different yeast strains (Danish lager and Trappist High gravity.) I used a few outdated smack packs that had been in my fridge for four months. The starters took a few days to take off but I waited and pitched them when they were ready. The beer is fine.

Years ago I had a starter not take off and called Morebeer. They sent me another pack. Before it got here the starter had finished.