Year Old Danstar Windsor - One Packet or Two?

[user 141939]

Just picked up an 11g packet of Windsor from LHBS with a best by date of 11/2016.

They store the yeast at room temp, Danstar says to figure %50 viability loss per year at room temp. Which would be an under pitch if that were true.

I'm brewing a 1.061 5.25 gallon batch. Should I get another packet? I know I've been told with Nottingham not to worry about it. But don't really want to underpitch.

I have some wyeast 1056 that I just harvested yesterday that I could supplement with as well.

 

[CA_Mouse]

Am I missing something? Best by date is still a year away. A 1.061 wort will be fine with a single packet.

 

[user 141939]

The packets have two year dating, which means the packet is a year old sitting at room temp. If I were to believe danstar, that would leave with 110 Billion active cells.

I figured I am probably fine, but just wanted some reassurance from people who are used to this yeast since I have never used it.

 

[zacster]

If in doubt at all just make a starter with it.

 

[user 141939]

No time for that. That's why I bought the dry yeast in the first place. I just didn't really read the fine print until I got home.

My options are to pitch the yeast alone or supplement with some 1056. Don't really want to do the latter but don't want to underpitch either.

 

[Calder]

I think the ''Best By' date for dry yeast is when it has lost roughly 50% viability at room temp. Fridge temps and it will last a decade past that. But you said it was at room temp. BB date is 11/2016, so it probably has roughly 80% viability.

Should be good to go. Remember Windsor has a relatively low attenuation, so if it doesn't attenuate 75%, it has nothing to do with the age off the packet.

 

[user 141939]

Thanks. It's chugging away now with about a 15 hour lag time so seems like it worked just fine.

 

[user 141939]

This beer got infected. I'm blaming the yeast. Fermentation was weak and sluggish. I'm not using year old, room temp dry yeast any more. Maybe it's ok with some strains like nottingham.