To brew or Not

Ok, I bought a kit back in August 2012, and bought the yeast at the same time. I then took a brewing sabatical. It is finally warm enough to brew outside, but the 2 yeast smack packs have a date of 6/2012. I smacked them and it's been 5 hours and nothing going on. So I guess my question is, should I wait or even though there is no swelling pitch it and risk it. The kit is for a belgian trippel

You could try to pitch it and if nothing happens get more yeast. I don't see that there is any "risk".

Did I mention, I can't get any more yeast and the earliest i would be able to get home and pitch more yeast would be tomorrow at 6 pm. So that would be 24hrs past putting it in the fermenter. Is that ok?

It shouldn't be a problem of you are sanitizing your equipment properly.

If it were me I would brew it.

thanks! think i will go for it...

The only problem is that the viable yeast might over work themselves. 6 billion yeast cells would be the ideal count if it were fresh. you're looking at much less. This could be tantamount to under pitching. I'd make a starter with each of them to ensure proper numbers of viable cells. The reduced viable cell count is why the smack packs didn't inflate as you'd have expected.

+1 on above post
Using starters will also save you money so you dont have to buy 2 packs for a brew