How long can I leave yeast in packet after smacking it?

[TomorrowsVerse]

So I made a mistake. I forgot to get my Crystal 40 while at the store today. They're closed now. I already smacked the 2 packets of 1056 that I got. It says to let them swell for 3 hours. I don't plan on brewing now that I missed that ingredient. What should I do with this yeast? I don't have any of the typical beakers used to make a yeast starter.

Should I just boil some water with a little malt extract, let it cool, and then put it in a beer bottle with tin foil over the top?

 

[ChshreCat]

If you haven't opened the pack, just stick it in the fridge until you're ready to brew. It'll go to sleep and be just fine. In a few days (or even a week or two) you can just bring it out, warm it up and it'll continue doing it's thing where it left off.

but... if you're going to brew in a day or two, go ahead and make a starter. You'll be better off for it anyway.

 

[TomorrowsVerse]

Thanks.

 

[BryanJ]

There's no point to do a starter in a beer bottle. If you don't have anything that is at least half gallon size, don't bother with a starter.

 

[plumbob]

Just empty and sanitize a milk jug or 2 liter of soda and you are in business to make a starter. Boil a liter of wort at 1.030 gravity cool it and put it in your sanitized bottle, pitch your yeast and leave it out on the counter for a day or two with the cap loosely screwed on. Put it in the fridge the night before you brew, decant the leftover wort and pitch the slurry into your cooled brew.

If you are brewing tomorrow just leave the packet in the fridge, it'll survive fine till tomorrow, warm it up to room temp before you pitch though.