Belgian Saison Tomorrow...

[gweim]

Hey all two questions... I'll be brewing the Brewer's Best Belgian Saison kit tomorrow and came across two things as I was looking over it.

First, I pulled out the yeast to see what it was (bought kit probably 3 months ago) and noticed on the package it says store at 41-50 degrees. It was in my basement in the box but definitely not this cool. Is the yeast ruined? It is Danstar Belle Saison yeast. It also says to rehydrate before use. Agree? Expiration on packet is 10/16 so that's fine.

Second, can I sanitize everything in the morning and then brew later in the day or should it be done right before? I have a couple of things to do during the day so I'd like to get the sanitizing done in the morning.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Definitely rehydrate.

You only need to sanitize the post boik things. So you could sanitize your carboy and then cap it off with foil and be ready for the end of the day. Just don't confuse sanitize, sterilize and clean.

 

[gweim]

Thanks. So is the yeast not being stored at the correct temp fine?

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Not ideal but dry yeast is pretty hardy.

 

[IslandLizard]

^ Quite hardy, indeed.

There's an expiration date on the yeast sachet, dated 2 years after manufacture, IIRC. It gives you an idea how old it is, but nothing about how it was stored since. Cold storage (fridge) is recommended, and it can be frozen without any problems, increasing shelf life.

I've used dry yeast 2 years after the exp. date, that had been frozen since purchase. Worked like a charm, although it was a little slow on lift off.

Now liquid yeasts are a lot more finicky about their storage and handling conditions.