683 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I have five empty kegs at the moment.  This 2124 is doing a nice job but it's already fermenting batch #5 and I have two other beers planned for it.  So I checked my stock of yeast and smacked a pack of 2278 with a date of SEPT 2018.  I will make a starter for it and get it up and running on some more pale lagers.  Also, when I checked my stock of yeast I found a White Labs pack of 840 American Lager from 2015, a pack of Budvar 2000 from 2014, a pack of 2278 from 2013 and a vial (VIAL!) of White Labs 860 Munich Helles from 2012.    All sent to the trash.  I need to order more yeast and WL940 and Omega Bayern are on the list.  

[Bklmt2000]

I have five empty kegs at the moment.  This 2124 is doing a nice job but it's already fermenting batch #5 and I have two other beers planned for it.  So I checked my stock of yeast and smacked a pack of 2278 with a date of SEPT 2018.  I will make a starter for it and get it up and running on some more pale lagers.  Also, when I checked my stock of yeast I found a White Labs pack of 840 American Lager from 2015, a pack of Budvar 2000 from 2014, a pack of 2278 from 2013 and a vial (VIAL!) of White Labs 860 Munich Helles from 2012.    All sent to the trash.  I need to order more yeast and WL940 and Omega Bayern are on the list.  

 

Once the primary is over for your current 2124 batch, you could split the yeast cake in half and get at least 2 more lagers out of it.  Just sayin'.

 

And good on you for dumping the old/expired yeast.  Sucks to see money down the drain, but I seriously doubt those yeast packs were still good/viable.

 

Start fresh, start new.

[Big Nake]

Once the primary is over for your current 2124 batch, you could split the yeast cake in half and get at least 2 more lagers out of it.  Just sayin'.

 

And good on you for dumping the old/expired yeast.  Sucks to see money down the drain, but I seriously doubt those yeast packs were still good/viable.

 

Start fresh, start new.

My plan is to use the 2124 and the 2278 on alternating batches.  I brewed Sunday and I will take that batch out of the fridge on Friday (maybe) and then plan a brewday with the 2278 over the weekend.  The next weekend I'll do the same in reverse.  Yeah, the old yeast packets are a bummer but I'm not going to put effort into trying to revive them... way too old.

[Poptop]

My plan is to use the 2124 and the 2278 on alternating batches.  I brewed Sunday and I will take that batch out of the fridge on Friday (maybe) and then plan a brewday with the 2278 over the weekend.  The next weekend I'll do the same in reverse.  Yeah, the old yeast packets are a bummer but I'm not going to put effort into trying to revive them... way too old.

 

This has me thinking because I'm  really digging a slurry I have now and can see at least 2 more batches with is (lager).  But I have a 940 and a 1728 that are already a month old, purchased with great intentions but I just don't want to give up on the one going now.  So I ask you all, what is "way too old" to make you toss yeast in the trash?  What's your threshold?

[Bklmt2000]

This has me thinking because I'm  really digging a slurry I have now and can see at least 2 more batches with is (lager).  But I have a 940 and a 1728 that are already a month old, purchased with great intentions but I just don't want to give up on the one going now.  So I ask you all, what is "way too old" to make you toss yeast in the trash?  What's your threshold?

 

For me, it's one year after the yeast was packaged by the yeast manufacturer.  More than that, it goes into the trash, and I kick myself for a bit.

 

If it's only a few months since it was packaged, and it's been stored properly in the meantime, I wouldn't hesitate to make a starter with it and see how it goes.

[Big Nake]

I don't know that I have a clear threshold but about a year sounds right. At one year I would still make a starter for it and see how it looks, smells, etc. At just a few months, I wouldn't even be concerned.

[Poptop]

For me, it's one year after the yeast was packaged by the yeast manufacturer.  More than that, it goes into the trash, and I kick myself for a bit.

 

If it's only a few months since it was packaged, and it's been stored properly in the meantime, I wouldn't hesitate to make a starter with it and see how it goes.

 

 

I don't know that I have a clear threshold but about a year sounds right. At one year I would still make a starter for it and see how it looks, smells, etc. At just a few months, I wouldn't even be concerned.

 

So a year is reasonable to you's two.  Sounds good to me too.  I hope to get all holdings on deck in the next 3-4 months which should be fine then.

I need to learn to not buy too far ahead because it's a pure fact I change my mind on what to brew next all the time.

[Big Nake]

I will say this: I've been surprised that a relatively new pack of yeast acted sluggish and I've also been pleasantly surprised when a year-old pack swelled up solid in 2 days. Whether or not I make a starter for it (something I dislike doing) depends on various factors including which strain it is, what I'm in the mood for, the age of the yeast, etc. I have made starters and seen them act sluggish and never get active. I have also opened up a Wyeast pack and the yeast was really dark... seems like a bad sign.

[Poptop]

Sight, smell.... says a lot.  

[Bklmt2000]

Making this tomorrow, a helles-ish kind of lager (need a pale lager on tap for next month, when preseason NFL football starts):

 

Mash and strike water measured, filtered, and dosed w/ lactic and a bit of CaCl₂ (my water is kinda high in sulfates and low in chloride; this will bring them into better balance)

 

10lb pils

1lb Munich

 

Hallertau. pellets. (bittering) to ~20-25 IBUs

Mt. Hood. whole. (10 min) to ~10 IBUs

 

34/70 will handle the heavy lifting in the primary, shooting for ~1.060 for 5.5 gal in the primary.

[HVB]

10/1 pils/Munich has made me many great beers...you can not go wrong.

[positiveContact]

Millions of Germans can't be wrong.

[Big Nake]

Making this tomorrow, a helles-ish kind of lager (need a pale lager on tap for next month, when preseason NFL football starts):

 

Mash and strike water measured, filtered, and dosed w/ lactic and a bit of CaCl₂ (my water is kinda high in sulfates and low in chloride; this will bring them into better balance)

 

10lb pils

1lb Munich

 

Hallertau. pellets. (bittering) to ~20-25 IBUs

Mt. Hood. whole. (10 min) to ~10 IBUs

 

34/70 will handle the heavy lifting in the primary, shooting for ~1.060 for 5.5 gal in the primary.

Yeah, I just made a beer with 10.8 lbs of Barke Pils and 1.2 lbs of Munich 1.  20 IBUs of Hallertau at the start of the boil and 2124.  It's fermenting now and I'm looking forward to it.  

[Bklmt2000]

Ok, the motion is seconded, carried, and thirded. 

[Big Nake]

Ok, the motion is seconded, carried, and thirded. 

We basically did a group brew without coordinating it! 

[Big Nake]

This pack of 2278 expanded pretty quickly and I made a 1.5L starter for it yesterday morning.  By last night the starter was very active so I'm brewing today.  I posted the recipe in the FWH thread... Barke and Briess Pils malt, a small amount of Munich 2 and then Hallertau as FWH additions and at the start of the boil and 2278.  Should be nice.  A very small percentage of the water for this batch might be sweat.    I think it's supposed to be about 90° today.  

[neddles]

weren't you the guy who said you traced a haze issue to a 30 minute boil that was too weak?

my bad it was neddles

by vigorous I meant a good rolling boil, not James Bond acid pool dissolving a bad guy.

Im behind here.

Yes, low vigor and 30 min boils were causing a protein haze on my system. Presumably from lack protein coagulation.

Moving back to 60 minutes cured it. A more vigorous boil at 30 minutes may have cured it but I never tried that.

Edited by neddles, 13 July 2019 - 06:42 PM.

[porter]

Going to block some time out to brew an IPA next weekend. Two kids under age 2 limits brewing time. I brewed a batch of marzen over my parental leave, per my wife.   

[macbrak]

Cleaning day. Kegged up a second runnings 60 Shilling and cleaned 4 kegs I was neglecting.  

[Bklmt2000]

Started plotting out my next batch, some kind of bockbier, hopefully to be ready by mid-late September, for the Oktoberfest season.

 

Will have to wait a couple of weeks until the helles I made last week gets kegged, as I plan on using that yeast cake (34/70) for the bock.