That’s very cool, Denny. Good to know I’m not the only one who’s gone down that road. I agree that it’s important to know the rules thoroughly before you break them. Lots of experience helps you break the rules with a good chance of success. Glad it turned out nice.
+1
I hate making starters. I see them as another chore on level with cleaning kegs, fermenters, or bottles. I prefer to make my starters 5 gallons at a time and repitch. This requires some pre-planning, but at least I get a keg full of beer out of it.
Glad to read that. I think I under pitched my current lager. It too was 2.5 gallons. I did a 1.5L starter for 12 hours planning to pitch at high krausen. I tried to cold crash a few hours and decant. It didn’t work I poured out about half the liquid and I think a lot of yeast decanting. It took 48 hours to show a small krausen. I’m hoping for good beer.
You need help 
Indeed…on many levels!
enjoyed it very much. Thanks for sharing. I have a confession, I have abused yeast also. I am glad I am not alone any more. 
+1 Nope; you’re not alone and my beers do not suffer.
Denny, I guess I was wrong to assume you would always have a constant supply of fresh yeast since it is named after you… Don’t you have some sort QC thing to do regularly to make sure it’s up to snuff? ;D
Yeah, I brew beer! I only get yeast once or twice a year…almost everything I use is out of date. But since I almost always make a starter, it doesn’t matter much. This was kind of a “how far can I push it?” thing.
I abust yeast regularly and love my results. It’s the only thing that I pretty much ignore advice on for the types of beers I brew. Very surprised that my lager yeast abuse has created such fine beers IMHO…
Are you buying in bulk or repitching?
I fear I qualify as a yeast abuser do to abandoned stirplates, and pitching entire 1L starters, even to “It” beers.
I think dumping a 66F starter into 45F wort is yeast abuse…but like throwing our kids in that cold water…after the shock they will probably thrive anyway…
The longest I’ve gone on old yeast successfully was about 10 months. I recently attempted a 27 month old vial I “found” in my fridge. It was propped up in a small starter @ 1.020 and pitched into a half gallon of cider. The cider had major THP. Definitely got some brett in there.
I like when the yeast abuses me [emoji53]
Atta boy! Now your thinking you dirty old man.
It’s probably the old punk rocker in me, but I really am put off by the anal mathematical website cell count calculator I need a microscope and a stir plate let me get my lab coat to brew beer approach to yeast starters and that is the primary reason I rebel against it.
I get shipments from Wyeast once or twice a year. But I do a lot of repitching in between shipments.
I’ve been able to resurrect a 3 1/2 year old pack of WY3522. Why I did that, I don’t know.