Universal Bass Strings

[Ted Simmons]

Dear list,
   It's been about 2 years since I last used a universal bass string.  The
last two that I used were dead, so I stopped using them opting to take
string measurements and call them into one of the suppliers. It's true the
strings have been stored in my car for quite some time and I'm sure the
heat and humidity caused them to go dead.  My question is: does anyone have
a way of predicting if a universal bass string is dead before installing
it?  Also, does anyone have a quick method for removing the excess copper
wrap from universals?
   Ted Simmons