Old Starter

[hopmonkey]

I made a 1l starter a few weeks ago of wyeast 1084 irish ale yeast. Didnt manage to get to brewing it there and then so it fermented out and has been sat under airlock @ 15C in my cellar for three (possibly 4) weeks.
Brewed a stout this weekend and decided to pitch the yeast in as i tasted the starter wort and it was pretty tasty deffo no off flavours.
Held the fermenter @ 22C for 48hrs now and not much activity, i am sure it will be ok, but what do you lot think should i wang in a packet of s04? or patience young grasshoper?

 

[JCG]

I would take a hydrometer reading if it has not falling since you pitched it may be time to add some more. If it has fallen then let yeast work it. I used a yeast culture the other day and it went off like a frog in a sock. And I had stored it for 3 months in the fridge.

Cheers
JCG

 

[pint of lager]

I would recommend pitching a fresh pack of dried yeast immediately.

Yeast die off very quickly after they finish fermenting and flocculate out. After 3-4 weeks, there would be very little active yeast left in your starter as shown by the fact that your wort is showing no activity after 48 hours.

Pitching the correct amount of active yeast into your wort is one of a brewer's defence mechanisms against infection. As the yeast work, they drop pH, remove oxygen and produce alcohol, all of which help to combat unwanted infections.

Next time, pour off the waste beer from your starter leaving the slurry behind, add some more fresh wort, wait till that is active, then do your next brew.

 

[hopmonkey]

sods law strikes!
the ferment has kicked in!
about two hours after i had started this topic i heard the reassuiring glooping noise we all love. woke this morning to find an airlock full of crud and my '90 champagnes covered in blow off!
although could be an infection, i suspect they were lazy buggers and were multiplying at a furious rate in my well aerated wort.
here's hoping!

 

[pint of lager]

Good to read. I hope it ferments clean for you.

If your sanitation is spot on, you may get away with it.

Infections and wild yeasts grow and multiply at 10 times the rate of our refined brewing yeasts. So an infection can quickly grow into very large numbers before a small starter has managed to build up enough numbers.

Back up dried yeasts are a great strategy.