I have some Wyeast Forbidden Fruit manufactured in July of last year that I’d still like to use. Would you all use liquid yeast that’s almost a year old? I was thinking I’d build it up in a low gravity starter… Say 1.020… then decant that and hit it again with normal starter wort around 1.040
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Yup, make a starter. I did with the yeast below that had a use by May 2019. Did 2 1L cycles (edit: of 1.040) and I now have a big ‘ol bunch of beautiful looking yeast corralled in the fridge.
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I did the same just this week, building up from the tiniest bit of over a year old Brett TYB-261.
I went for a 1 liter starter of 1.05. It took about 3 days to get to completion rather than the 24 hours of a health new yeast. I think Brett is slower by nature however.
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Definitely. I’m about to resurrect some yeast about that old myself.
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Mine was even older than I thought. 300ml WY1056, 3/17/2019 last fermentation end date. Of course brewersfriend yeast calculator said it was 0% viable.
I made a 2 L starter with all 300ml in a 2gal jug and shook it until the jug was almost 3/4 full of foam. Fermentation was less than impressive but I gave it a shake each time I was near it and there was a decent foam cap each time. I let it ferment out, cold crashed it and added another 2 L starter wort the night before brewing. Crazy foam with just a little shaking and each time I swirled it.
I was a little concerned when I went to pitch and it seemed like I was on the down side of fermentation but both fermenters took right off at 61F and had a nice inch or so of foam next morning. Chugging along nicely at 63Fnow. Plan is to pull it from the swamp coolers on day 4-5 for first DH, in the keg with second DH in 10 days and serving by 14 days. We’ll see…
Never give up on the yeasties! They’re resilient lil buggers.
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I’m with you Dannyboy!!
Sneezles61
