I brewed up a batch of ordinary bitter one week ago.  I had a few unused smack packs of yeast, WY1028, but they were old and had warmed up some in a dying fridge.  After one week the beer never took off.  Brewing for the last ten years is supposed to teach you something about yeast prep, and most times I make a starter and use fresh yeast.  NO MORE BAD YEAST!  I am preparing to make a stir plate, so I can ensure good yeast everytime.  I’ve got most of the parts together so I’ll document the build-out and post my process in the near future.  I am using the recent BYO and Zymurgy articles for reference.

Here are a few pictures of my dead Bitter.  Resting quietly next to a Blonde Ale that will get racked to secondary soon.

Fridge Front