When do you give up on a WLP500 starter?

[Tippsy-Turvy]

Merry Christmas everyone!

Made the starter 48hours ago, swished vigorously every so often and kept at 71F-72F in the dark. Yeast expiry was 16th Jan. Even now, there's still not even a hint of activity and the SG hasn't moved a micron from the OG (~1.037). The sample smells just like any wort & yeast mixture ie no bad smell.

I've read that this strain is slow to start but I'm brewing in 2 days so I'm wondering when do most of you give up on a starter and move to a contingency plan?

Thanks everyone.

 

[DurtyChemist]

I'd give up after 6 or 7 days before throwing it away.

 

[BigRedBrewer]

I'd be pretty skeptical after 48 hours if nothing has changed. I've never used 500 but that's a good amount of time for any yeast to get going. Could be that the viability was way low which would make it slow to start. 48 hours is a fair amount of time though

 

[BrunDog]

If yeast expired a year ago... well, why even try?!?

If the expiration is this January, then despite that its viability will be low, and you may not know how it was handled before you received it. Like above... no life after 48 hours = say buh-bye. Your beer's not worth a crappy pitch!

 

[Tippsy-Turvy]

Expiry is next month but, yup, it's not worth risking an entire batch.

Unfortunately, that's the only WLP500 I have so I'll just have to brew a mish mash of styles.

 

[BrunDog]

This is why it is good to always have dry yeast in hand. The last thing you want to do is pitch a weak/funky starter. Even if it's bug free you will have stressed yeast and probable off flavors.

 

[hopbrad]

mine took 84 hours last time. shake it every few hours. i had some 500 and 530 side by side. both took long but made great beer. i cant fully remember but i think the 530 was more like 72 hrs and 500 was 84 hours.
the tube may be a little less viable, but thats the point of a starter, to grow the good yeast and get them going. dont toss it.

 

[Tippsy-Turvy]

Guess what. Since I had decided this starter was to be dumped, I thought what the heck, i'll warm it in a 84F water bath and see what happens. Lo and behold, the yeast took off! True, the time frame also follows hopbrad's experience.

I'm not sure what the implications are from making a starter at such warm temps (since I'm coming across many different opinions out there) but at least there's life!

 

[Calder]

I'm not sure what the implications are from making a starter at such warm temps.

The yeast will be fine. Yeast prefers temperatures closer to 100 F than the advertised ferm temps. We (humans) just don't like the bi-products from fermenting at these high temps. The yeast is probably healthier from fermenting at the higher temps.

Cold crash, decant, and pitch and all will be good.

 

[Randomnoob]

I have a Wyeast London Ale pack I got for free from the LHBS since the MFG Date was in June and he never sold it. I made a starter Wednesday night hoping that it would be ready to go for tomorrow. It sat on the stir plate for an entire day and despite no activity, I cold crashed it before going to bed last night and there was no yeast cake when I woke up this morning. I decided to put it back on the plate and see if something would happen after another full day today. Postponing brewing until next Saturday.

 

[Bamsdealer]

They always have expired yeast for half price at the lhbs. Most of the time they go off, but if it takes over 2 or 3 days i just toss them. Not worth ruining a batch. I've found a summer shipped batch to have a better chance of being a dud than an older one shipped cool. If it hasn't expired and it was kept in the fridge but hasn't gone off in 2 days, I'd personally give up.

 

[DurtyChemist]

I have a Wyeast London Ale pack I got for free from the LHBS since the MFG Date was in June and he never sold it. I made a starter Wednesday night hoping that it would be ready to go for tomorrow. It sat on the stir plate for an entire day and despite no activity, I cold crashed it before going to bed last night and there was no yeast cake when I woke up this morning. I decided to put it back on the plate and see if something would happen after another full day today. Postponing brewing until next Saturday.

I bought yeast from July and I'm planning a 1.5L starter and 48 hours. I've never had a problem with "old/expired" yeast and $2-5 of DME.

 

[Randomnoob]

It took off. Just took over 6 days for it happen. Finally happened this morning....