Yeast Starter w/ expired yeast

[alkohall]

I am ready to brew my first ever batch of beer and I noticed that my White Labs London Ale yeast was two weeks past its "Best If Used By" date. I read that I could try to make a starter for the yeast and this could raise its viability. I did a little research and found conflicting arguments over how to make a good starter. I decided to go with the information in the book "How to Brew" by John Palmer. I did it last night and checked on it this morning and it doesn't seem to have done anything yet. Palmer states that it could happen very quickly in such a small batch, but how can I be sure?

Is there a way to easily test the viability of the yeast?

If I decide to use it and it doesn't pan out, can I just pick up another packet of yeast and pitch that into the same batch without causing any harm to the batch?

Thanks for any advice you can give me!

[Bugeater]

I have made starters with "expired" yeast many time. Two weeks out of date isn't anything to worry about. Palmer is right about the fermentation taking place quickly. When you do this overnight, you will most likely miss the whole thing. The way to check is to look at the yeast settled to the bottom. If the volume is greater than what you started with, you are good. A second check is to swirl the yeast back into suspension. If the color of the wort is lighter than it was when you first pitched the yeast, that means there is more yeast present.

If you still aren't sure, add another dose of starter and let it go another day, making sure you swirl it any time you walk past. I've had yeast that was almost a year out of date (Pacman) that came back after two days on a stir plate and the beer came out great.

Wayne

[alkohall]

Thanks Wayne. I added another dose of starter tonight. We'll see.

If I do end up pitching with it and nothing happens, can I just pitch again with more yeast and not harm the batch?

[Bugeater]

If the batch does not start up in 24 hours, pitch a pack of dry yeast like US-05.

Wayne

[alkohall]

Thanks, Wayne. I am at day four of fermentation and things seem to be going very well!

[alan_marks]

Just a reminder, I make a habit of checking my pitching rate at www.mrmalty.com . It has a calculator for creating a starter based on not only style and starting gravity but also the viability of the yrast you are building up from. I use this often to calculate the size of my next starter based on the yeast I'm using and the date I harvested it from the previous batch. This way I can be sure of a healthy starter no matter (well sort of) when I harvested the yeast for my yeast bank. (Read this last part as butter compartment in my refrigerator door).

Alan