If you had to choose...

If you had to choose between pitching a vial of WLP 001 accidently left out on the counter of my apartment during a heat wave in New England and exposed to 85 degrees for ten hours or so, OR about a pint and a half of yeast cake in my fridge from two previous brews, which would choose?

I'm thinking of going with the yeast cake, third generation or not....

The vial will be fine. 85F is just barely above the temp. that we grow yeast in the lab for research purposes, and where the occassional culture tube of "special" yeast is grown for 24-48 hours before being taken home to pitch into a starter flask. Just open it slowly as some pressure may have built up.

If it got above 90 F then I'd start to worry. At 98, yeast are not happy at all. It may still take a while to kill them and in that case I would DEFINITELY make a starter and maybe you'll be lucky.

Pitch the vial

What's the cake of? A yeast appropriate for the beer? Three generations woulnd't bother me, as long as you practice good sanitation. You should have made a starter with the vial anyway.

Both will work just fine.

Yeah, I think I'll go with the cake. It's WLP 001 as well.

make a starter with the vial

May as well use the cake, just pitch a little on the cool side if possible.