I have a pack of WLP820 yeast with a best buy date of 4/2/22 for a marzen I'm going to brew . I was planning to brew the marzen earlier, but things came up and I couldn't get around to it. Now I want to brew a few lighter beers for summer like a cream ale and a golden ale before I brew the marzen. I'm definitely going to buy new yeast for the marzen, but wondered if I should add both the old and new yeast to the starter, or just toss out the old yeast. My thoughts are that even the old yeast can introduce additional cell count, but if the health of the yeast is poor, I don't want to cause stress on the healthy yeast.
I also have some old hop pellets in the fridge from brews which called for half ounce measures. They are in the original packages and taped shut. All of them are up to a year old, but not older since I cleaned out the fridge last summer. Are they still good to use or should I go with fresh hops?
I also have some old hop pellets in the fridge from brews which called for half ounce measures. They are in the original packages and taped shut. All of them are up to a year old, but not older since I cleaned out the fridge last summer. Are they still good to use or should I go with fresh hops?