Liquid yeast arrived warm!

[max-the-knife]

I received two beer kits today from Austin Homebrews. I ordered the kits with White Labs liquid yeast kits and the ice packs to help keep them cool.

Unfortunately, the kits sat in a UPS warehouse over the weekend and arrived at my door this afternoon. My son called me to tell me that the yeast was around 85 F. I instructed him to put them in the refridgerator asap. Will this temperature hurt the yeast?

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

Hurt them no. Kill them? Maybe.

Make a starter to ensure viability and you should be fine

 

[mawa]

I always order fron AHS and because of where I live, the yeast always arrives warm (one time it sat in a warehouse for 2 full weeks!). I do the same as you, put it in the fridge until 2 or 3 days before brew day when I make a starter and pitch this into my brew. Evrytime i've done this, fermentation has begun in less that 12 hours with excelent results.

I don't think you have much to worry about, IMO.

Mawa

 

[rotary_full]

The ice pack is a waste of a doller. (IMO) Everytime I order through AHS arrives warm........ not a problem with my beer though.

Next time you order through them just dont worry about the ice pack and try to order on Monday's!!!!

 

[talleymonster]

I also had my White Labs yeast from AHS arrive to my front door very hot (Las Vegas, Nv). It was the british ale yeast. It was dead. I had to run out on the third day to LHBS and buy dry yeast, Safale 05 to start fermentation. After pitching the dry yeast there was airlock activity within 4 hours.

I was kinda bummed about the 7 dollar vial of dead yeast.

 

[Warped04]

I also had my White Labs yeast from AHS arrive to my front door very hot (Las Vegas, Nv). It was the british ale yeast. It was dead. I had to run out on the third day to LHBS and buy dry yeast, Safale 05 to start fermentation. After pitching the dry yeast there was airlock activity within 4 hours.

I was kinda bummed about the 7 dollar vial of dead yeast.

what was the temp when it arrived with your DOA yeast?

 

[talleymonster]

Well, it was about 110* outside when it got to my door. UPS website said it left the warehouse at 5:30 AM, so it was on the truck all day. I did not recieve until 5:30 PM. The ice pack was boiling hot, as was the yeast vial. I immediately threw it into the fridge, but to no avail.

 

[Warped04]

Yeah...it was 106 degrees when mine showed up...I traveled to LA, CA where there is a homebrew store, I was going to pick one up as a backup on my way out of town, but I may throw both into a starter assuming the 106 one is dead.

 

[Coastie]

I just got my order from AHS yesterday and the Wyeast British Ale II was warm. Fortunately, it's been pretty mild in Virginia lately. I chucked it in the fridge right away. We'll see.

I got the ice pack too. I figure that it bought the yeast a little bit of time.

 

[chase]

I've had three shipments of White Labs yeast go south this summer. Each time I ordered with an ice pack, and each time when it showed up at my house, the inside of the box felt like a small sauna. I made starters each time two days ahead for the first two and they never became active. The third order I made the starter 4 days ahead and they never activated. I'm through ordering yeast by mail. It's a pain for me, but I'll always go across town to the LHBS to get fresh liquid yeast from them.

 

[DeathBrewer]

yikes! where do you live?

 

[Beerrific]

Well, it was about 110* outside when it got to my door. UPS website said it left the warehouse at 5:30 AM, so it was on the truck all day. I did not recieve until 5:30 PM. The ice pack was boiling hot, as was the yeast vial. I immediately threw it into the fridge, but to no avail.

Did you contact AHS? Probably not a bad idea so they will know that sending yeast your way is a bad plan.

 

[WBC]

I get yeast from a local brewery and they are glad to give it away as they have way too much and have to discard it all the time. I just went and talked with them and told the story of shipping problems and over heated yeast and they were glad to help. I now have started to use a conical fermenter and have been saving yeast and that helps a lot. If you are using a carboy then save your yeast by swirling it around and then siphoning it into bottles to save. It keeps in the fridge a long time. As long as you practice good sanitary practices your yeast will be just fine. I also use oxygen just after pitching into the wort for 1 minute using an aeration stone which gets vigorous yeast growth going quickly. Yes it takes more money to use oxygen but you use very little and I save a lot on yeast and it all balances out. I get very strong fermentations every time using 1 cup of yeast for a 5.5 gallon batch of ale. I keep the temp at 65F for ales and 50F for Lagers.

 

[beerdad]

I always order with the ice pack and it's always melted when it gets to me. I just hope it kept it cool for the first couple of days so the yeast did not suffer too much. I use a yeast starter and haven't had a problem. I have all my deliveries sent to my job so it goes right into the fridge here at work and never has to sit outside.

 

[Coastie]

Well, I smacked the pack this morning and 10 hours later, it's as flat as can be. Looks like there was a yeast massacre.

Update. The yeast pack finally swelled up and seems to have worked well.

 

[raceskier]

Having a LHBS doesn't necessarily solve all of your problems. I've gotten 3 dead smack packs or tubes from mine.

Over the winter everything was fine, but once the hot weather arrived, the problems started. Don't forget, your LHBS is probably getting their yeast shipments by UPS or FedEx as well.

I see the long term solution as starting my own yeast ranch and freezing or slanting the strains I regularly use.

 

[howlinowl]

Last time I ordered supplies, I ordered from More Beer. Got everything but the yeast. I ordered from them as they had some grommets I needed for my towers of my kegerator. Ordered the yeast from Hearts in Orlando as it was the closest to me. Figured that the trip from Cali was a bit far for my yeasties to travel by UPS.

Allan

 

[nedrieke]

I think I have screwed the pooch on my virgin batch. It has been in Primary for 2-1/2 days and still no sign of fermentation. According to the retailer where I purchased the recipe austinhomebrew I had to open up the primary and re-stir. I did this after 24 hours, and still nothing.

Now they are sending another yeast out to me.

I also had it arrive to me warm, but did what I thought was best: put it in the fridge.

Questions: What is a starter? Should I just order dry yeast? Is this batch ruined?

 

[jdoiv]

Questions: What is a starter? Should I just order dry yeast? Is this batch ruined?

1). Search the wiki or forums. Basically it is a small amount of un-hopped wort that you proof your yeast in before pitching into your wort. Make it a couple of days before you brew from DME (dried malt extract) and you will up your yeast count and make sure the yeast is viable.
2). Having a couple packs of dry yeast around is a very good idea. Makes for a good backup should your starter on your liquid yeast not work out. Also, you don't need a starter for dry yeast
3) Very unlikely. It can take up to 72 hours for fermentation to start. If you pitched your yeast when the wort was too warm (more than say 100*F), your yeast are dead and you should re-pitch. Otherwise RDWHAHB. It'll start up soon.

 

[John Beere]

One note about ordering from AHS over the weekend - they will go ahead and box your stuff up and let it sit until it ships on Monday... I learned that the hard way when my yeast arrived DOA.

 

[nedrieke]

Search the wiki or forums. Otherwise RDWHAHB. It'll start up soon.

Well at least I have learned something. I WAS going to ask you WTF does RDWHAHB stand for, then I took some of your advice. Yes, I will relax and I won't worry.

Thank you.