Any one having lag issues with the Pure Pitch? I have to do at least 3 starters prior to pitching to a batch of beer before the yeast shows any significant activity. The first starter barely drops from the initial gravity. Manufacture date has no influence on this.
I'd just about guarantee you that the problem is poor yeast handling somewhere along the way. When that yeast packet left White Labs it was full of healthy yeast. If that weren't the case you'd read about viability problems here several times a day.