how long can I store a starter for before the yeast go bad

[GLoBaLReBeL]

Hey guys,

I made a 1 liter starter on 2/16/11 and let it ferment for 3 days, and then stuck it in the fridge on 2/19/11. I got really sidetracked and haven't used it but the tinfoil is still on the top of the starter and the yeast are all sitting in the bottom. Could I create another 1 liter starter today and then use the old starter to make a larger starter and use that to ferment my wort on 3/5/11?

I know its been a long time and maybe I should just go buy a new bottle of yeast from my LHBS, but I would like to keep costs as low as possible.

So, what do you say?

 

[BrewMoreBeers]

it should be fine. Just decant off the extra fluid, let the yeast rise to fermentation temp. and pitch it. A small amount of the yeast may have died but the vast majority of it will have gone dormant and will re-activate without any issue. Your yeast has only been dormant for about 2 weeks - liquid yeast packs are frequently much older than that and still work just fine.

 

[rjwhite41]

It's fine. Make another starter.

 

[Golddiggie]

As already stated, just pour the yeast you have, in the old starter, into a new starter to proof it and then brew.

I have used harvested/washed yeast that's been in the fridge for well over a month before. I would pull it from the fridge, to let it get warmed up a bit, while making the starter. Pretty much every time, the yeast is moving/active before I put it into the starter. Since you're talking less time, with gen 1 yeast, I think you'll be just fine.

 

[GLoBaLReBeL]

Wonderful!! Thanks everyone. Just saved me a trip and some $$

 

[Ender]

think of it a a big tube of white labs yeast. They make a starter and put the yeast in a tube and let it sit for a long time. Keep it cold and make another starter as has been said above

 

[Starderup]

I took the leftover wort (about 1 liter)from last week's batch, and boiled it. After pitching an activator pack from Wyeast (PacMan), I poured the sanitized wort into the pack, swished it around, and made a starter from it. It took off in just a few hours. On Tuesday or Wednesday, I put it in the fridge. I took it out last night and there is a beautiful creamy white layer on the bottom. Took some more leftover wort and boiled it. Poured off about 200 ml of the liquid from the flask, and brought the volume back up to 1 liter. Within an hour, I got foam and bubbles.
This is a really easy way to double the use of a yeast pack.