Completely dead wyeast 1335?

[HObrew]

Brewing Yooper's oatmeal stout yesterday and noticed the packet of yeast wasn't swelling. So the wort is in the fermenter waiting for yeast and I put the yeast on the stir plate. Almost a day has passed and I'm not noticing any milkyness in the starter. It still smells sweet and no bubbles at all. I'm getting nervous about my wort sitting since 6pm yesterday with no yeast and susceptible to infection.

What should I do?

 

[cswis86]

I had that happen to me last brew. That's why I keep a few packs of dry yeast in case of an emergency. Get a new pack of yeast as soon as you can.

 

[HObrew]

Yikes thanks. Headed to the lhbs as soon as it opens

 

[govner1]

What was the date on the package?

 

[HObrew]

March 2017.

Had the same issues with one that was from August.

There's CO2 in the carboy but no Krausen. This is my second attempt

 

[govner1]

March is definitely “on the bubble” as far as dating. Six months old is the max per the manufacturer. Did you just purchase this from your LHBS? If so, I’d at least expect get a free replacement.
Also, more details on your wort, OG, temp, would be helpful.

 

[xico]

If it's Wyeast, 90 days and the product is supposed to be pulled from the shop. White labs vials are the same, but the new packs go 180 days. If you bought that at a shop I would return the package and get a refund, that should've been pulled from inventory 3-4 months ago.

But that aside, even if it were 4 weeks old it could be a pack that was handled improperly from packaging to warehouse, to shop, before you even touched it. You should get CO2 production for healthy yeast. I check dates on packs without fail and often just special order from the local shops, this way I know it's fresh.

I second having some packs of dry yeast in the fridge as backups for circumstances like this. Consider rehydrating them in cooled but boiled water first too. You don't lose a so many yeast to shock rehydrating in wort.

 

[brewbama]

Just another reason to use dry yeast

 

[HObrew]

I had that happen to me last brew. That's why I keep a few packs of dry yeast in case of an emergency. Get a new pack of yeast as soon as you can.

March is definitely “on the bubble” as far as dating. Six months old is the max per the manufacturer. Did you just purchase this from your LHBS? If so, I’d at least expect get a free replacement.
Also, more details on your wort, OG, temp, would be helpful.

If it's Wyeast, 90 days and the product is supposed to be pulled from the shop. White labs vials are the same, but the new packs go 180 days. If you bought that at a shop I would return the package and get a refund, that should've been pulled from inventory 3-4 months ago.

But that aside, even if it were 4 weeks old it could be a pack that was handled improperly from packaging to warehouse, to shop, before you even touched it. You should get CO2 production for healthy yeast. I check dates on packs without fail and often just special order from the local shops, this way I know it's fresh.

I second having some packs of dry yeast in the fridge as backups for circumstances like this. Consider rehydrating them in cooled but boiled water first too. You don't lose a so many yeast to shock rehydrating in wort.

Just another reason to use dry yeast

Thanks for the help, all.

Just an update. I ended up using Nottingham dry yeast and it is bubbling away in the fermenter. Now I'm considering keeping dry yeast packets in the house.

The starter FINALLY started milking up on the stir plate at 36 hours. I don't know how much longer it would have taken in still wort but am glad I got it done.

I plan decanting the starter 1335 and saving it for another brew...unless anyone has any objections

 

[xico]

Sounds good to save it. They last longer if you decant from a chilled culture with settled yeast cake and add distilled/ro water on it and swirl.

 

[brhenrio]

I am having difficulties with a fermentation that hanst started using this yeast. I pitched too cool, 16C but have raised temp slowly up to 19C. Its a red ale og of 1060, and pulled a sample an hour ago and still sitting there. Going to check again in morning but thinking im gojng to have to pitch some 1272 (only other tjing i have).

 

[brhenrio]

And it is off finally! 2 and a half days before active fermentation

 

[HObrew]

Sounds good to save it. They last longer if you decant from a chilled culture with settled yeast cake and add distilled/ro water on it and swirl.

Great! I was going to decant and leave some of the "beer" on it. But I'll use boiled and cooled RO.

And it is off finally! 2 and a half days before active fermentation

Yeah called wyeast and they said they don't have any known issues with it. I think it's just a yeast we should make a starter with a few days in advance and pitch in while active.

 

[Brew_G]

Had a similar "issue" with 1318 London Ale III that I threw on the stir plate on Friday afternoon, in preparation for a brewday this weekend or next. It was dated from February 2017, but has been kept refrigerated the whole time, and I've had no issues with getting active fermentation from yeast that was a year old. There was nothing doing by Saturday evening, so I decided to hit the LHBS for another pack on Sunday.

Checked the SG of the starter on Sunday, and nothing had changed, so there's a good chance that pack was a lost cause. Whipped up another 1.5L of wort, dropped in the new yeast, and had krausen within a few hours.

Just another lesson to learn from!