Help with WLP400 starter

[SmokeyMcBong]

Hi all,

A while back a friend of mine donated some vials of yeast to me. After looking through the pile, I notice one was very outdated (may of 2013!), it was the Belgian Wit yeast. I made a starter the other day and dumped in the vial, more to see if it would start then anything.

It sat and did nothing for 2 days. I figured all the yeast were dead but decided I'd give it another day before re-boiling and pitching some other yeast. When I got up on day 3, there was about an inch of krausen on top! Zombie yeast!! Anyway, the starter proceeded to overflow the jar with krausen for the next two days.

Now the question/problem...

Its been like 6 days now and the krausen is still an inch or an inch and a half high. I'm pretty sure its fermented out, I don't see any bubbles rising anymore. Should I crash it out now (so I can decant and step it up) or leave it till the krausen drops on its own?

Thanks for the advice people!! :rockin:

 

[LLBeanJ]

Crash it. Once a starter does finally get going, which could take days if the yeast is really old (as you have learned), it will usually finish out in 24-36 hours if on a stir plate.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

No stir plate but I guess that its still done, krausen and all?

 

[LLBeanJ]

I'd be inclined to think so.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

Thanks bro.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

So, I crashed it out overnight and decanted this morning. I stepped it up with another liter and a half of starter wort and its quickly puking krausen everywhere.

I decided that I'm gonna make a perry with this yeast. I had some pears and a few crabapples in my freezer, so I pulled them and put them in my beer fridge to thaw. Hoping to process and press on the weekend at some point.