My LHBS sold me out of date yeast, but...

[BillTheSlink]

It isn't that old. It's dated "Best Before April 20, 09". I had want Wyeast for a Scottish 80, but he was sold out and I got this vial of WL Edinburgh which he said was the same thing, and which someone here confirmed. Now I always make a yeast starter the night before (12-18 hours out) here's what I do:

2 cups water heated
Dissolve 1/2 to 3/4 cup light DME
Throw in one hop pellet
boil 15 minutes

Pour into 1500 ml flask, chill to 68-70, pitch, cork with an airlock.

The next day

Swirl vigorously to detach yeast cake and pitch into wort when 68-70 degrees.

I was just wondering, do I need to alter anything since this yeast may be a little past its prime? I hear people speak of decanting or cold crashing their starters. What is that?

Bill

 

[Hugh_Jass]

Bill,

"2 cups water heated
Dissolve 1/2 to 3/4 cup light DME
Throw in one hop pellet
boil 15 minutes

Pour into 1500 ml flask, chill to 68-70, pitch, cork with an airlock."

Do this minus the cork and the hop. Instead cover with sanitized foil.

You'll want to vigorously shake the starter before pitching. A starter needs oxygen to promote yeast growth. I swirl my starter each time I walk past it.

There is no reason to cold crash or decant. Cold crashing is to drop yeast out of solution and decanting is pouring off the starter liquid after cold crashing is complete. Just pitch the whole thing into your batch when it's cooled to temp. (or you can pour a cup of the starter into a sanitized jar to save for next time and pitch the rest)

good luck and cheers

 

[ajf]

You don't have to do anything special because of the age of the yeast, but there are a couple ways you could improve your starters.
1. Don't use an airlock. Use some sanitized foil, or an inverted sanitized jam jar to allow oxygen to get into the starter.
2. Shake it vigorously as often as you can. (Sleep is vastly overrated.)

I must learn to type faster.

-a.

 

[llazy_llama]

I don't see the water being boiled at any point in your process. Here's my recommendation:

1: Bring 2 cups of water in erlenmeyer to a boil on the stove.
2: Remove flask from heat, stir in DME (omit hops, they add nothing to a starter)
3: Add in 1 drop Fermcap-S to eliminate possibility of boil over
4: Return to boil for 15 minutes
5: Remove from heat, cover with sanitized tinfoil, submerge in ice bath to reach pitching temps.
6: If you're not using a stir plate, shake the hell out of the flask everytime you see it (and keep it within line of sight at all times). Use this shaking time and the soreness in your shaking arm as a reminder to buy a stir plate.

 

[BillTheSlink]

I don't see the water being boiled at any point in your process. Here's my recommendation:

1: Bring 2 cups of water in erlenmeyer to a boil on the stove.
2: Remove flask from heat, stir in DME (omit hops, they add nothing to a starter)
3: Add in 1 drop Fermcap-S to eliminate possibility of boil over
4: Return to boil for 15 minutes
5: Remove from heat, cover with sanitized tinfoil, submerge in ice bath to reach pitching temps.
6: If you're not using a stir plate, shake the hell out of the flask everytime you see it (and keep it within line of sight at all times). Use this shaking time and the soreness in your shaking arm as a reminder to buy a stir plate.

Actually,
yes I do boil after the dissolving of the DME. I will omit the hop pellet, but believe it or not that idea came from those guys who do the DVDs. "Basic Brewing" is what I have and they just released one on Lagering without a chest or freezer (I can't wait to get that. I really want to do a Helles and some Canadian clones; I love Moose Head, but for some reason it has disappeared from my local Kroger store).

 

[BillTheSlink]

Have to ask though, why not an airlock? It did come with the kit (S trap type).

 

[slomo]

In short the airlock doesn't allow oxygen in. Yeast need oxygen to reproduce.