Dead starter...add more yeast?

[Gameface]

So I ordered a packet of Denny's Favorite 50 from an online retailer in Dec. and the package date was from Nov. It arrived slightly swollen.

I intended to use it fairly soon but ended up not, so it sat in my fridge until yesterday. I made a large 4L starter and put it on the stir plate. It's been there for about 24hr now with no signs of fermentation at all.

I realize with a little more time I may see signs of life. It's happened before.

But I want to brew in the next couple days. I made a trip to the LHBS today to pick up some other stuff and I grabbed another pack of Denny's Fav 50.

My question: No problem adding the yeast pack to the starter I already made, right?

But what if I had decided to try a different yeast? Let's say I decide I now want to make a Scottish ale next and I add my 1728 yeast instead? If there are a few diehards left in the Denny's fav 50 I suppose they could influence the overall character of my beer or not enough to worry about?

Either way I didn't want the 4L starter and the DME I used to go to waste.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

I say go for it. Either way it should work out ok. Even if you end up a with a "yeast blend" it should make good beer. I would pitch the additional yeast right away though. If the first smack pack was completely dead, then bacteria and wild yeast have the upper hand right now.

 

[Gameface]

I say go for it. Either way it should work out ok. Even if you end up a with a "yeast blend" it should make good beer. I would pitch the additional yeast right away though. If the first smack pack was completely dead, then bacteria and wild yeast have the upper hand right now.

Good point!

I have been closely inspecting the water line in the starter and in the last 30 min or so a very small amount of tiny bubbles is now collecting at the water line. So now I'm thinking it's going to take off soon. I just wonder if I'm better off pitching the additional pack anyway since a 4L starter with 14oz of DME is not ideal for growing such a small number of viable yeast. That and I want to brew soon.

While writing this I talked myself into adding the additional smack-pack.

 

[funnycreature]

I've never really seen huge fermentation in my starters since I use a stirrer. But I can definitely see the cloudiness increasing over time. Even if there were only a few live yeast cells in your initial pack; they'll grow to form a strong army with enough time :rockin:

 

[Gameface]

I've never really seen huge fermentation in my starters since I use a stirrer. But I can definitely see the cloudiness increasing over time. Even if there were only a few live yeast cells in your initial pack; they'll grow to form a strong army with enough time :rockin:

Yeah, I could tell this morning when the wort still looked like fresh wort instead of the milkshake look I was expecting.

 

[funnycreature]

Yeah, I could tell this morning when the wort still looked like fresh wort instead of the milkshake look I was expecting.

Well that's bad I have to admit. I wonder what happened to your yeast...

 

[Gameface]

It was shipped from CA to UT already over a month old then put in my 35F fridge for another 6 months before being added to a very large starter. I think it was about to get active but I added the other smack-pack because I want to brew this weekend and I plan to enter the beer in a comp at the end of July.

 

[bizarrojosh]

You can pitch the other yeast but you will end up with a blend of yeast. That's not necessarily bad just know that there were probably yeast alive in the original packet.

 

[kh54s10]

When propagating old yeast I start with a SMALL, WEAK wort. Maybe about 1.025 to 1.030 and then step it up. I just made a starter from 5 ml of yeast that I have stored frozen for 1 year 5 months and 25 days. It propagated nicely and will be used in my Shire Ale tomorrow. It is my version of John Palmer's Elevenses.

 

[PetesBrew]

It was shipped from CA to UT already over a month old then put in my 35F fridge for another 6 months before being added to a very large starter. I think it was about to get active but I added the other smack-pack because I want to brew this weekend and I plan to enter the beer in a comp at the end of July.

It's gonna be a challenge to duplicate this recipe if you create an award winner!... Buy an expired yeast pouch, age it 6 months, mix with fresh yeast...

 

[Gameface]

It's gonna be a challenge to duplicate this recipe if you create an award winner!... Buy an expired yeast pouch, age it 6 months, mix with fresh yeast...

I know, right? But if it is a winner I've got the golden ticket.