5 Month Old Yeast - Starter?

[dttk0009]

Hey guys,

I was planning on brewing a cream ale this weekend and bought a vial of WLP060. Looking at the manufacturing date, though, it says Feb. 8, 2018, which is quite a ways away.

Mrmalty tells me I'll need 7 vials for a 1L starter or 4 vials for a 2L starter, which aren't possibilities.

I'm worried about off flavors especially since I went for a yeast that's supposed to be fairly clean (never used it before).

My Erlenmeyer is 2L I think (maybe 3). I was gonna just make the biggest starter possible and have it do its thing for 36 hours, but figured I'd check here first.

Thoughts on the yeast viability or starter size? Still good to use?

 

[jpakstis]

I like to harvest yeast from my starters and I've had some of my harvests lie dormant for a while (I think the longest was up to 6 months) and I have rousted them up in a starter with no off-flavors or issues that I am aware of. While I've never used WLP060 I've done it with US05, US04, and BRY-97. I think BRY-97 was the one I let lie for longer and created a pretty clean-tasting IPA with it with no issues.

Do you have a stir plate? That always seems to be the biggest x-factor in all the yeast calculators I've goofed around on, more so than manufacture date.

 

[thehaze]

I think you will be fine doing a 2 L starter for 2 days, so the yeast has a bit of time to multiply properly. For a 1.050 beer, you should be fine. Maybe ferment at the high temp. range of the yeast, in order to allow the yeast to ferment " better/quicker* ".

 

[dttk0009]

I like to harvest yeast from my starters and I've had some of my harvests lie dormant for a while (I think the longest was up to 6 months) and I have rousted them up in a starter with no off-flavors or issues that I am aware of. While I've never used WLP060 I've done it with US05, US04, and BRY-97. I think BRY-97 was the one I let lie for longer and created a pretty clean-tasting IPA with it with no issues.

Do you have a stir plate? That always seems to be the biggest x-factor in all the yeast calculators I've goofed around on, more so than manufacture date.

I do, yeah. 36 hours on a 2L should do it, I hope. Just figured I'd check here first. Just don't want to risk a stall.

 

[DurtyChemist]

Still good. It might take a little longer to show signs of fermentation in your starter. It will grow just fine. I like the Homebrewdad Yeast calculator spreadsheet for this reason (better numbers than Mr Malty) and because I can access it without the internet.