Determining viability of yeast cake

[turkeyjerky214]

Here's the deal, I brewed a 5 gallon batch of vienna lager back in december (12/15) as a starter for a 10 gallon batch of doppelbock. After I put it in my basement for its diacetyl rest (12/24), I sort of forgot about it. It's been sitting on the yeast the whole time. When I'm looking in MrMalty to determine the viability, it asks for the harvest date.

I'm assuming that it's not nearly as viable as if I had used it right after the dactyl rest, but I'm hoping that I can still use it as long as I make a starter.

Basically, what would I put as the harvest date to figure out how viable it is?

 

[turkeyjerky214]

Nobody?

 

[TimTrone]

If you're making a starter you'll be fine. At first I thought you meant you were just going to rack the bock on the cake.

 

[turkeyjerky214]

What I'm asking is how to figure out the viability of it so I know how much to use and how big of a starter to make.

 

[turkeyjerky214]

bump

 

[BBL_Brewer]

Determining viability is going to be tough without a microscope and a hemo. Just make a starter with some of it and step it up a couple times. If you've made a few starters you ought to know about what it looks like when you have enough yeast to pitch. Worst case scenario, you end up over pitching a little. No big deal.