# Think yeast is precious?



## elcarter (3/3/15)

It's not. Well 3787 ain't.

21 Nov 13 

No no one can say I don't look after my stock... right! 

Date challenge has been made. 16 months can you beat it?


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## Midnight Brew (3/3/15)

Had a 2.5 year old pack swell up over a week. Died in its tracks as even a small starter at 1.020 couldnt get it going again. RIP Wy2565


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## elcarter (3/3/15)

Pics or it didn't happen.

h34r:


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## Pogierob (3/3/15)

Ha ha, I think that was his point... it didn't happen.


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## Black Devil Dog (3/3/15)

Very recently had a WY2565 that was May or June 2013. Pack swelled after 3 -4 days, stepped some starters, all very active, last one overflowing and now currently awaiting pitching once current brews in fermenting fridge are done.

All yeast calculators suggested zero viability. Kind of calls their accuracy into question.


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## Lecterfan (3/3/15)

I recently tried to awaken a wy1968 and THREE packs of wy1028. Both were well over 6 months old...the 1968 fired up and responded immediately to a starter and was pitched last weekend...the 3 packs of 1028 did **** all for a week, fired up a bit, but the starter stunk and tasted rubbish.

I'm pretty comfy saying some yeast is pretty precious, although that 3787 looks ok! (mind you, wy3787 is one of the few yeasts I've made rubbish beer with in the past...)


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## MHB (3/3/15)

Going back a couple of years now, but I smacked a 71/2 year old Wyeast and it came up in a couple of days.
Following if a copy of the picture I sent Wyeast and a snip of our correspondence, I remain seriously impressed.
Mark


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## Black Devil Dog (3/3/15)

MHB, I see in your correspondence that you didn't intend to, but did you end up using it?


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## MHB (3/3/15)

No chance, old lager yeast tends to throw lots of sulphur flavours and aromas. At a pinch you could re-propagate through a couple of generations (better to go back to a single cell) and probably get it back into decent health but I would rather start with healthy fresh yeast.
The old saying "_We make wort and yeast makes beer" _still caries a lot of weight.
Mark


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## peas_and_corn (3/3/15)

Why do you people buy yeast without actually having a use for it?


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## manticle (3/3/15)

Like getting a cat from the animal rescue shelter.


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## jyo (3/3/15)

My best was a wy Belgian Wit that was just over 13 months old. Swelled in a couple of days, straight into 500 mls and pitched after a week. Great fermentation, good attenuation.

Tasted great too.


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## sp0rk (4/3/15)

I've got 2 over 2 year old Wyeast packs in my keezer
An american wheat and I think a Kolsch
Will be using them soon, HOPEFULLY they fire up
Note I didn't buy them with the intention of using them, they were already over the use by date and my LHBS gave them to me


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## Weizguy (4/3/15)

On the weekend, I boiled up some filtered wort left over from a recent batch of American wheat beer. Diluted to 2 litres of 1.035 wort.
I decanted the liquour off a Flying Dog yeast cake in another Ehrlenmeyer flask and tipped in about 350 ml. In another PET bottle, topped off with about 150 ml on top of the yeast, and the remaining 1.5 litres stayed in the 2 l flask and I tipped in some Pacman.

Back to the approx 250 - 300 ml in the PET bottle, It inflated the bottle overnight and has almst fermented out the wort. It was W1272 - American Ale II, and was put in the PET bottle on 22/2/06. So, that's my best recent effort. The bottle was refrigerated for most of that time. I realise it's not a smack pack, but it was a few ml of sediment in the bottom of a PET bottle, decanted off a yeast cake FROM a Gen 1 yeast out of a smackpack.


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## elcarter (4/3/15)

It would appear I'm being well and truly beat. These success stories are inspiring.

The 3787 is on a stir plate now, shall see how much life it really has.


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## Moad (4/3/15)

I revived a 6 month old 3787 that came out of the smack pack brown. Took 4 steps but turned into a real nice beer if I may say so. Nothing like 7.5 years but have faith


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## Mickcr250 (5/3/15)

And this is why I seriously doubt mrmalty. I just got some 3 month old Thames valley yeast and Mr malty claims 23% viability, and that I would need a 3 l starter with 2 packs of yeast for a 1044 ESB. Ended up just doing a 1l and then stepping up to 2 and had fermentation in 8 hours. I think yeast is much more resilient than people think


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## Moad (5/3/15)

lets hope so, I had a delivery of some today. Delivery guy left it in the sun for who knows how long...


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## manticle (6/3/15)

> And this is why I seriously doubt mrmalty. I just got some 3 month old Thames valley yeast and Mr malty claims 23% viability, and that I would need a 3 l starter with 2 packs of yeast for a 1044 ESB. Ended up just doing a 1l and then stepping up to 2 and had fermentation in 8 hours. I think yeast is much more resilient than people think


3 L starter with 2 packs is to get to the recommended cell count, not just to get fermentation to occur.

As with most brewing software, it is a guide based on formulae from empirical evidence, not an absolute. It can't tell you without doubt that you do only have 23% of what you need any more than beersmith can tell you your beer is exactly 62 ibu or will definitely finish at 1.011.


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## boybrewer (6/3/15)

I revived a fingernail size of washed US-05 that was 4yrs old . Built a small starter for it stepped it up and fermented a pale with it .


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