My first brew, pitched yeast too early?

Okay, I have been making mead for just over 9 months now, and decided to try a brewers best red ale kit. I followed the instructions up until the point where it said cool down the wort to 70 degrees, then pitch yeast. Instead, I cooled it down to just under 80 degrees, and pitched the yeast (not rehydrating it). I figured the instructions on the package of yeast says to rehydrate in 4oz water between 75-80 degrees, so I thought I would be fine... Anyhow, I sprinkled on top of the foam which formed when I filled the wort up to 5 gallons, should there be foam? So I stired in the yeast a little bit, then put the lid and airlock on.

I haven't waited long enough yet for any activity, and should have either let it cool to 70 degrees then added yeast, or at least rehydrated it exactly per instructions first. Oh well, hopefuly soon I'll know... Or later I won't know..

You'll be fine. You want to pitch the yeast under 80F so you were under that mark. You don't HAVE to rehydrate the yeast but you also don't have to stir it in. It sounds to me like you didn't really do anything wrong. Just make sure you get that down to about 65F for fermenting. You don't want to ferment near 70F...

As long as the yeast was viable (not too old), it'll be fine! Foam is a good sign- it's a sign that you aerated the wort well when you added the water.

Don't worry- it'll start!

Foam when hydrating yeast is not a sign of viability, may or may not happen.
80F isn't a problem for any of the dried yeasts on the market.

Ok, thanks for the reassurance. My sticker thermometer on the primary fermenting bucket shows 72 degrees, but my thermometer of the room (closet) shows about 68... Do I need to somehow get it cooler in there? It seems like my mead has been fermenting in that temperature just fine, but I am guessing beer yeast is different.