pitched expired yeast

[jonp9576]

i know i should probably wait to make sure the yeast is not working, but i figure i will ask any way.

i brewed last night. came out with an OG of 1056. i went to pitch the yeast and noticed it said best before july 19. oh crap. i didnt have time to make a starter since i was about 10 minutes into my chilling process before i noticed it.

i pitched it any way. how long should i wait before i repitch. the normal 72 hours? i usually have airlock activity in 12 hours. nothing yet. i'll check it again after work today.

the yeast was
WLP029 German Ale/ Kölsch Yeast

 

[Revvy]

If you made a starter, then the age of a yeast isn't really an issue.

Bobby M did a test on year old stored yeast here; https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/testing-limits-yeast-viability-126707/

And my LHBS cells outdated tubes and packs of yeast dirt cheap 2-3 dollars each and I usually grab a couple tubes of belgian or other interesting yeast when I am there and shove it in my fridge. and I have never had a problem with one of those tubes.

I usually make a starter but I once pitched a year old tube of Belgian High Gravity yeast directly into a 2.5 gallon batch of a Belgian Dark Strong, and after about 4 days it took off beautifully.

With any stored, old yeast you just need first to apply the "sniff test" if it smell bad, especially if it smells like week old gorilla poop in a diaper left on the side of the road in the heat of summer.

Then make a starter, and if it takes off you are fine. The purpose of a starter is to reproduce any viable cells in a batch of yeast....that;s how we can grow a starter form the dregs in a bottle of beer incrementally...and that beer may be months old.

Even if you have a few still living cells, you can grow them....That's how we can harvest a huge starter (incrementally) from the dregs in a bottle of some commercial beers. You take those few living cells and grow them into more.

If yeast can be grown from a tiny amount that has been encased in amber for 45 million years, 45 million year old yeast ferments amber ale we really don't need to sweat too much about how old a yeast is, if it's properly stored.


Really even with "old yeast" if there is a few cells, they will reproduce. In your case it may just take awhile.

 

[Pappers_]

If it were me, I'd wait. First, pitching a vial without a starter means the yeasties are having to spend some time gathering their strength and multiplying before they get to work. Then there's the possibility that there were fewer viable yeasts because of the 'best used by' issue.

I'd give them time, I think.

 

[jonp9576]

i'll wait it out. i didnt make a starter, my ingredients came in the mail yesterday(already ahd the yeast) and i got so excited i just started brewing. i'll give it a few days. i have it in my living room(around 70* to wait for activity before i move it to my basement around 65*)

as far as smell, it smelled like any other vial of white labs yeast that i pitched.

i guess my plan for now will be leave it for at least 72 hours, even if i dont see activity i'll check the gravity. if its going, then were good to go. if not, i gues i can think about pitching again.