how long can you store a pkg of dry yeast?

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TacoGuthrie

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I'd like to order some Safale-05 from an online source seeing how my LHBS doesn't carry it. Right now I've got 5 in my checkout cart.

How long will they last if stored properly? Do I need to worry about using them all in a certain timeline?
 
They have an expiration date on the package- usually a year or two from when you purchase it. I have a bunch that are supposed to expire this year. But I've kept them in the fridge, and they should all be fine for past the expiration date.

If you're going to use them in the next two years, you'll be fine.
 
They will have expiration dates on the package, but I believe they tend to stay viable (if stored in the fridge) for about a year from the date of manufacture. Now do keep in mind that as long as there's 1 yeast cell still alive in that pack, a proper starter with step ups will turn it into a fully viable yeast culture eventually. Generally we don't make starters with dry yeast, but the point is that there will still be some active yeast in that pack.

Seeing as 11g of dry yeast is a bit of an over pitch anyway for most medium gravity brews, I wouldn't have a problem using an out of date pack of dry yeast.
 
I found a couple of kits in my laundry room that I had bought on clearance at wally-world and then forgot about. They were at least 5 years old when I pulled them out. They had been exposed to extreme temperature changes, as low as 30* and as high as 100*f. The bags of DME were solid bricks and the hops pellets were turned into brown dust. And the Windsor yeast had been expired for 4 years. Rather than just throwing them out, I decided to brew them up and see what happens.

Well after fighting with the malt bricks, I just did two one-gallon batches and tossed the rest. The yeast was a little slow to start, but after about 20 hours, it was bubbling away. The yeast performed very well, and the beer was drinkable in spite of the old hops.

I've never had a pack of dry yest to fail. I've been let down by liquid yeast a couple of times.
 
The wife has stored bulk dried bread yeast in the freezer for over 10yrs & is still using for bread it still works great. I even used some for beer recently -- worked for that too.
 
I used a pack of us s05 today that was well within its expiration date. It has been sitting in my garage with some pretty hot temps lately! Probably for about 2weeks or so. I pitched today in my kolsh around 1pm EST and still nothing as of 11pm...I just checked. Normally, this dry yeast starts within 4-8 hours...but this time nothing not even beginning of bubbles on the wort. The only difference this time from the others is that I have a true temp control as I am using my wine cooler to hold temp at 60degrees as suggested on my instructions. Do ya'll think i have dead yeast or just a slow starter?? Thanks for the help!
 
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