WYeast Activator 1469-PC West Yorkshire Ale Yeast

[MyQul]

I added about 3/4 pint of water & 5 tablespoons of DME (not massively heaped but definitely not level). When I arrived home there was a few mm of light coloured solids at the bottom, I have shaken this back into suspension and if foamed quite vigorously.
If I recall correctly the original smack pack contained only a small amount of liquid and with the yeast in suspension, which it was stated could be added directly to the wort.

By the sounds of things you've got quite bit there. Stick it in another 2L (2L water/ 200ml of DME) of starter nd you'll have loads to get to restarted with the strain again

 

[Smileyr8]

That was pretty much what I had planned, I was going to let it ferment out pretty much, maybe another day remove the fermented liquor then add the new wort. I won't be using the yeast for a little over a fortnight at the earliest, so I plan to slow things down as much as I can.
Then on the brew day make a starter from what I have.

 

[Smileyr8]

OK this yeast has come to an end I think (2 years out of one packet isn't bad I suppose), I managed to re-culture and have used it through a few brews it still does the job but its not the same as it was originally, it no longer forms a buttery crust that is easy to skim (top crop) instead it clumps together into small 3-5mm particles and has often already started to fall from the surface by the end of the second day, whilst previously this was the best time to skim, it also seems to attenuate more highly.

So with this journey coming to a end, its time to start thinking about the next, I'd like to try something different probably another Wyeast Activator has anybody got any recommendations, primarily I would like it to be good with Yorkshire bitter but also suit Goldens & Stouts. It would also be good if it was easy to top crop i.e forming a buttery crust.