Wyeast Shelf Life

[davedoran]

Hey,

Question regarding shelf life of wyeast stains. How long should they last if kept in the fridge.
I have a pack of Bav Wh Blend 3056 is the fridge with a manufacture date of 20 Aug 13. Has never left the fridge and is exactly the same as when I got it at the shop.

 

[schoey]

If it has been treated well and kept in the fridge it should be OK. At 7-8 months old though the viability will be pretty low which means you'll need a starter, preferably with a couple of steps.

 

[sp0rk]

I've got a bunch of smack packs that are over a year old that I got for free, as long as I do a starter and step it up slowly, they always fire up just fine

 

[Spiesy]

Hey,

Question regarding shelf life of wyeast stains. How long should they last if kept in the fridge.
I have a pack of Bav Wh Blend 3056 is the fridge with a manufacture date of 20 Aug 13. Has never left the fridge and is exactly the same as when I got it at the shop.

According to Mr. Malty you have 10% viability in that yeast.

I.e. 90% is dead.
I.e. you have a yeast population of roughly 10 billion.

Get your steps on.

 

[davedoran]

Thanks,

Start with 400ml of wort and build her up from there?

 

[Scooby Tha Newbie]

This is how I do it.

Smack the pack. Leave. Be patient it may take up to a week(or more) to expand.
Shake it every time you look at it.

This one took 8 days.


Yes it says June 2012.
It works. I got the idea from a very old thread on here. I think back in the day the(Wyeast) yeast packs where not only hard to find but sometimes quite old.


JUST DON'T OPEN TILL IT EXPANDS.
I opened one not knowing and it died on the stirplate.
This is that pils.

 

[Weizguy]

+1.

Be patient, wait until pack expands and culture/ step up the culture size. 400 ml should be OK for your first step. 200-300 ml might be better, and then up by 10X (or less if that's what you need) from there.

Congrats with your yeast choice. I find W3056 to give you plenty of the weizen character you need for the style. I may have even won my first Best Of Show with it. (It was a small comp, IIRC).

 

[davedoran]

Thanks for the help guys.
Another soul saved by AHB.

 

[Mickcr250]

Hmmm just saw this thread and am now a little stressed. I had a similar situation, I had a pack of ringwood ale yeast with a production date of 27 Aug 13 in my fridge for a Dr smurtos ttl recipe. I smacked it yesterday and it didn't swell in 5 hours so I pitched it into a 1 litre starter. It's been 17 hours and the glad wrap I have on top swells when shaken but no visible krausen as yet. Have I screwed up bad?

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[Scooby Tha Newbie]

Mate get another ready.
If it's swelling (the glad rap) you may be alrite but I'm not 100% convinced.
It's definitely under pitched tho.
A addition of some active yeast (or dry)is what I would do.

 

[Mickcr250]

You mean to the starter?

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[Scooby Tha Newbie]

Sorry.mate I read it as pitched into your fermenter.

 

[Scooby Tha Newbie]

As a starter addition it should kick and start up. It may take awhile longer than normal tho.

 

[Scooby Tha Newbie]

Is your starter on a stir plate?

 

[Ross]

Hmmm just saw this thread and am now a little stressed. I had a similar situation, I had a pack of ringwood ale yeast with a production date of 27 Aug 13 in my fridge for a Dr smurtos ttl recipe. I smacked it yesterday and it didn't swell in 5 hours so I pitched it into a 1 litre starter. It's been 17 hours and the glad wrap I have on top swells when shaken but no visible krausen as yet. Have I screwed up bad?

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no need for krausen - its all good

 

[Scooby Tha Newbie]

Being from aug13 it will work. The ringwood in my picture above was nov12 it took awhile but it kicked off.
As for krausen I never get one on my stirplate.
Ross has the rite of it.

 

[Mickcr250]

No not on a stir plate but I'm giving it a good swirl every half hour or so now and have bumped the fridge up to 24 now so should give it a better chance. It seems to be holding the glad wrap inflated, not just when swirling now so I think its gunna take. Thanks for the help guys

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[Ross]

its going already - its fine - stop stressing

 

[Scooby Tha Newbie]

Proly just let the smakpack swell next time mate. I find that gives me a lot more confidence.

 

[Mickcr250]

do you think i will need to do another step? batch size is 21L at 1.045 gravity its very hard to guage how much yeast i have it seems everyone has a different idea of yeast viability, i just checked the brewers friend starter calculator and it calculates 0% viability from 4 months old! and then there are people using 12 month old yeast