Thursday night, July 16th, I brewed up a 4.50 Liter starter with 450 grams of Extra Light DME, twice. One for each carboy. Normal fair for me. I have been brewing for 23 years, and have been making yeast starters now for 15 years. Every single one of my starters have always shown some sort of activity. Usually a layer of Krausen within 12-24 hours of pitching. Now to this starter, my anomaly...
I pitched the yeast at normal ale temps, as always. I treated this yeast like I would WLP830. Anywho, 24 hours, nothing. Looked like colored water in the 5 liter flasks. No signs of activity. 48 hours, still nothing. 60 hours in, and tiny, tiny little specks on the surface of both flasks. I did a hydrometer reading prior to going crazy looking locally for 2 more vials of 820. I'm at 1.030. I have dropped 10 points in 72 hours. Hmmmmmm. The sample is still in the hydrometer tube with foam at the head. The yeast has been working in the tube. I'll take another hydromter reading tomorrow evening to see if I have dropped. My question is this. Anyone here have experience with WLP820? Bear in mind, I picked the tubes out of my Empty Tube box today, and they are out of date by a little less than a month. So, this, coupled with the natural slow start of WLP820 could be the issue. I have never brewed an Oktoberfest, this being my first. I will not pitch this yeast if it doesn't come around.
I pitched the yeast at normal ale temps, as always. I treated this yeast like I would WLP830. Anywho, 24 hours, nothing. Looked like colored water in the 5 liter flasks. No signs of activity. 48 hours, still nothing. 60 hours in, and tiny, tiny little specks on the surface of both flasks. I did a hydrometer reading prior to going crazy looking locally for 2 more vials of 820. I'm at 1.030. I have dropped 10 points in 72 hours. Hmmmmmm. The sample is still in the hydrometer tube with foam at the head. The yeast has been working in the tube. I'll take another hydromter reading tomorrow evening to see if I have dropped. My question is this. Anyone here have experience with WLP820? Bear in mind, I picked the tubes out of my Empty Tube box today, and they are out of date by a little less than a month. So, this, coupled with the natural slow start of WLP820 could be the issue. I have never brewed an Oktoberfest, this being my first. I will not pitch this yeast if it doesn't come around.
Anywho, I thought some here would like to know that my OG dropped from 1.030 to 1.020 from 7/19 to today, 7/21. In 48 hours I dropeed 10 points. So yes, the yeast was just LAAAAAZY and starting to wake up. In retrospect I should have gone with a 2 liter starter, then a 3 liter starter, then a 4.50 liter starter due to the out of date yeast I was using. Ah well. Fresh yeasties tomorrow evening. 
