So, evidently those "Best before" stickers....

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Bruscar

Eat, drink, repeat
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mean something! Finally made my lager last weekend. Pulled the yeast tube out of the frig (Note). "Best before Nov. 5, 2007" says it. "Meh, prolly still good." says I.

One week later, NADA!
BangHead.gif


Bugger!

OK, it's been in the Freeze-a-mentor @ 58F with an airlock all week. Earliest I could get new yeast is Monday. Whaddya think? Might work still?
 
If it's that cold with an airlock, it should probably be fine. If you see it bubbling away before you pitch the yeast, then you should worry.
 
It's worth it to try, rather that dumping the whole batch.


and next time???



make a starter make a starter make a starter make a starter make a starter make a starter
 
"make a starter make a starter make a starter make a starter make a starter make a starter"

OK, brings up a side point: I didn't think you needed to with White Labs liquid.

Sez you?
 
I use a fair amount of white labs. My opinion?

Use a starter use a starter use a starter use a starter use a starter!!!


Anyway, question... I have an out of date vial of yeast. If I make a starter and it works, can I treat it as a "first generation" of yeast, or should I be more concerned that maybe there may be some contaminants multiplying in there as well?
 
first of all, always make a starter! not just to check viability but also to make better beer. second, given the same volume of beer at the same gravity, a lager need a higher pitch rate than an ale does. make a starter.

Sir Humpsalot said:
Anyway, question... I have an out of date vial of yeast. If I make a starter and it works, can I treat it as a "first generation" of yeast, or should I be more concerned that maybe there may be some contaminants multiplying in there as well?

there wont be any contaminants in there, just a lot of dead yeast. i'd probably step up two starters so you can be sure you have enough viable yeast. make your first starter smaller than usual, maybe half as big, because you probably don't have a very high viable cell count, and you won't waste as much DME if the whole vial is dead. then you can pitch that slurry onto a starter that's a little bigger than normal. now you've got a $H!T TON of healthy yeast.
 
The yeast is all commercial packets, liquid or dry, will be single culture. The odds of having a mutation occur and dominate the batch are small. Out-of-date only means the viability of the yeast will be lower and the benefits of making a starter higher.

I'd bring the batch up to 70F for a couple days and see if the yeast gets going. I'm in the pitch warm & cool once fermentation starts school for lagers.
 
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