I inherited 15+ vials and packets of yeast by WL and WYeast. They're definitely well beyond their best by date, probably by about a year, so I'm not really looking to attempt building a starter off of them at this point. Does anyone know any uses for these? I've heard that old yeast would essentially work as a viable yeast nutrient if pitched into the boil at the same time as you would other nutrients. Alternatively, anything else anyone has used them for, and what results did you find?
“I've heard that old yeast would essentially work as a viable yeast nutrient if pitched into the boil at the same time as you would other nutrients.” I have been told the same concerning old dry yeast by a number of homebrew store folks. “I inherited 15+ vials and packets of yeast by WL and Wyeast. They're definitely well beyond their best by date, probably by about a year, so I'm not really looking to attempt building a starter off of them at this point.” If you are willing to be patient, and perhaps perform a multiple step starter, you can use these ‘old’ liquid yeasts. I was once given an old smack-pack of Wyeast 2633 by my LHBS since it was over 6 months old. It took a while but I built up a starter and made an Oktoberfest beer with that free smack-pack, that batch turned out fantastic!! Cheers!
I've used couple year old smack packs that were kept refrigerated. They took a while to swell, and the starters took a bit longer to get moving, but aside from that I noticed no other issues.
I've made yeast extract from old yeast. Like a liquid super nutrient. Works great added to starters. Wrote up a how to on my blog. Got some sitting in the fridge now waiting for the time to make some more.
It might be worth a try to build up starters, especially if you would like to do small batches. You don't need as much healthy yeast and you don't have to risk a lot of ingredients. Are the vials different types? If some of them are the same, you could pool them. You might want to do some yeast rinsing, though to separate live cells from dead.
Sorry about that, it is about a year old now. http://endofsilencebrewing.blogspot.com/2014/05/diy-making-yeast-extract.html
You can still make a perfectly good starter from an old vial or smack pack if it has been refrigerated the entire time; it will just take (a lot) longer. All bets are off if it got hot or froze, though frozen yeast can often be resurrected. The oldest smack pack I've used was 5 year old WY2124. The pack took 10 days to swell but eventually made a good Vienna lager.
Excellent point about the storage conditions of being refrigerated. The old smack pack that I received for free from my LHBS was stored refrigerated at the store and I stored it in my refrigerator for a few months prior to using it. Cheers!
Give `em a smack and see what sticks to the wall. See if you can get some proofing on the yeasts, and make some small starters for the strains that you want to keep.
I recently brewed a lager from Wyeast smack pack that was from last July. I pitched with another pack that was from last September. It took five days to start and I had to warm up the fermentation for a few days before I brought it down to 54 degrees. The beer was finished at three weeks and I have it kegged. Even with all the hassle on this batch the hydrometer sample was excellent. I will not be suckered into buying old yeast again. ( I already had my grain bought and crushed and wanted this yeast. )
No. The only starter I have ever made is when I pitch on yeast cakes, or when I have harvested yeast from a previous batch.
