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Yeast past expiration date.

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Dwhite

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 31, 2005
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Not a question just an observation.

Yesterday I put together a show mead with some wild blueberry honey.

After getting everything secure in the primary I started cleaning up and noticed the expiration date on the yeast package was 1/2011. This was over a year past, still started, and is merrily bubbling away. A little worried until I got home this evening and saw it working.

Yeast was 71B-1122


Need to manage my supplies better.

All the Best,
D. White
 

TAKeyser

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 4, 2012
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Detroit, MI
I think we've all run into pulling a pack out of the fridge only to find we haven't been paying attention to the dates as closely as we should.
 

Braxton

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 29, 2010
188
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Twin Cities
I've used dry yeast that is past its expiration date before. I usually double my normal pitch rate when I do. But it still seems to work well. Man, I'm cheap. :rolleyes:
 

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
8,443
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Ottawa, ON
I at least make sure it's doing something after rehydration before I pitch it, if it's not doing anything obvious I add some must as if I was making an acclimated starter...

I keep my yeast refrigerated so it probably extends their viability for at least a couple months but I do try to use everything before it expires.

I did underpitch once with a packet of yeast that was expired by a couple months and hadn't been refrigerated (the packet that came with a wine kit that took a while for me to get to, survived at least one summer in my kitchen) and it took a while to get going and wasn't as quick as most wine kit fermentations I've done but it did eventually finish where it was supposed to.
 

fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
Dry yeasts in original pack, is pretty much bomb proof.

Expiry dates are added as its considered as a food product, hence the legal device of an expiry date, for the makers CYA.

I just make a starter to confirm the yeast viability.......
 

hepcat

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Feb 7, 2012
282
4
18
Central Florida
...
I keep my yeast refrigerated so it probably extends their viability for at least a couple months but I do try to use everything before it expires.
Didn't know that. I should be keeping my dry yeast packs in the fridge? Right now I've got them stashed in a cool dry closet.
 

TAKeyser

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 4, 2012
1,228
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50
Detroit, MI
Didn't know that. I should be keeping my dry yeast packs in the fridge? Right now I've got them stashed in a cool dry closet.

Definitely keep them in the fridge. Every LHBS I've ever been to in the 4 states I've lived store them that way.
 

Dwhite

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 31, 2005
82
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This had been stored in the fridge.

This batch is really rockin' and rollin' too. Glad the yeast worked.

All the Best,
D. White
 

Braxton

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 29, 2010
188
1
0
Twin Cities
There is a drop off in viability with age for sure, though I think it would take a long time to be completely dead if it were kept refrigerated. One of the yeast manufacturers has some handy guidelines for the % drop off in viability over time, but I don't remember which one (maybe Lalvin?).
 
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