Old yeast?

Share your experiences of using brewing yeast.
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TC2642
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Old yeast?

Post by TC2642 » Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:20 pm

Used a Whitelabs WLP530 vial, the best before date on the packet read 10th March 07, I made up a 1ltr starter with this thinking that I would not get anything, how wrong I was!

Wish I could post a pic of it but I have just noticed you don't have anyway of uploading directly :(

Anyway, I have over six inches of foam within three days! While I suspect there must be some cut off date for liquid yeast has anyone used yeast with a later (earlier?) date than this with similar results?
Fermenting -!
Maturing - Lenin's Revenge RIS
Drinking - !
Next brew - PA
Brew after next brew - IPA

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TC2642
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Post by TC2642 » Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:42 pm

DaaB wrote:It's nice when that happens, I picked up a couple of Wyeasts for 50p each back in Jan as the sell by date was up. I started the second of the two a few weeks ago.

If you check out the sticky in the tap room it explains how to up load pics.
Cheers Daab, Ill check it out.
Fermenting -!
Maturing - Lenin's Revenge RIS
Drinking - !
Next brew - PA
Brew after next brew - IPA

David Edge

Post by David Edge » Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:25 am

While I suspect there must be some cut off date for liquid yeast
There isn't really. The older it gets, the more yeast will die and some may mutate. But ignoring mutation (no nutrients in storage so they shouldn't be reproducing) even once 99.99% of the cells are dead you still have more cells that you start with on a slant (how Brewlab for example supplies yeast). It will just get progressively more difficult to bring them back to life.

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Post by TC2642 » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:24 pm

Interesting stuff Dave, thanks.
Fermenting -!
Maturing - Lenin's Revenge RIS
Drinking - !
Next brew - PA
Brew after next brew - IPA

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