Hot Yeast!

[BeerCyclist]

So, it's like 100 degrees today and when I get home I expect to see a package from Northern Brewer sitting on my doorstep that contains their Waldo Lake Amber extract kit with a pack of Wyeast 1450. (I ordered prior to the heat wave, so I didn't ask to have it packed in dry ice, which likely wouldn't have made a difference in these temps anyway)

Considering it has traveled with the heat from the midwest to the east coast and will be baking in the sun, can I expect the yeast to be DOA or will I be able to jump start it?

On a positive note, I do have a back up Chinook IPA kit ready to go should I have to order more yeast for the Waldo. But, if the heat doesn't break by Sunday, I'm not boiling anything!

 

[wcrooker]

I would make a starter and see what happens, you'd be surprised what yeast can take.

 

[TopherM]

Yeast don't start having problems with heat until about 120 degrees F, and they don't start 100% dying off until 140 degrees F. The hottest temp in recorded history in Connecticut is 106 degrees F on July 15, 1995 (pre-global warming so I think your yeast are going to be AOK.

 

[Zixxer10R]

I've got the same temps here in TX. I decided to use dry yeast just because of the fact that they are a bit more tolerant of the heat and i knew it was gonna be on a truck all day long.

My Hop Duster PA bubbles away like mad as we speak!

 

[Clementine]

Yeast don't start having problems with heat until about 120 degrees F, and they don't start 100% dying off until 140 degrees F. The hottest temp in recorded history in Connecticut is 106 degrees F on July 15, 1995 (pre-global warming so I think your yeast are going to be AOK.

Although Topher is correct with the temperatures that yeast die temps above 100 degrees does effect their viability. Also air temperatures are measured in the shade hence radiant energy of direct sunlight can drive the temps in a box full of goodies much higher.

Make a starter to be sure, regardless of how hot the yeast got it is the best safe guard against stuck fermentation and problem brews

 

[BeerCyclist]

Well I came home, opened the box and the ingredient kit looked like it was about to blow. Northern had packed it with dry ice brix but, as I suspected, it didn't help. The Wyeast pack has been activated and is swollen up like a balloon. I assume it's over and that I'll have to pitch it...into the trash rather than into my wort.

 

[mrduna01]

Well I came home, opened the box and the ingredient kit looked like it was about to blow. Northern had packed it with dry ice brix but, as I suspected, it didn't help. The Wyeast pack has been activated and is swollen up like a balloon. I assume it's over and that I'll have to pitch it...into the trash rather than into my wort.

I would use it... Make a starter to check it's health and go with it. You were going to swell the pack anyway right?

 

[BeerCyclist]

I would use it... Make a starter to check it's health and go with it. You were going to swell the pack anyway right?

Good point. Doesn't hurt to try. I will start it and see how it goes. Unfortunately, it's going to be way too hot to boil this weekend...100 tomorrow and no wort chiller...and I don't want to spend a hundred bucks on ice...plus SWMBO doesn't want her kitchen heated up...lol, so I'll wait until next weekend. Thanks all!

 

[Clementine]

I've never used Wyeast (LHBS or rather only HBS on island does not stock it) but it is my understanding that the smack pack is only nutrients + a small amount of sugar to wake up the yeast. So long as the pack does not explode and I would put it in the fridge and make a starter with it next week when you are ready to brew. The fact it has swollen up means the yeast is viable so you should be good to brew.

Clem

 

[mrduna01]

Good point. Doesn't hurt to try. I will start it and see how it goes. Unfortunately, it's going to be way too hot to boil this weekend...100 tomorrow and no wort chiller...and I don't want to spend a hundred bucks on ice...plus SWMBO doesn't want her kitchen heated up...lol, so I'll wait until next weekend. Thanks all!

Now that I think of it, I think the faqs on their website say that it is not un common at all for packs to be swollen even on the store shelf for various reasons but a starter should be made. Open it up and do a 1 L starter and it will be good and ready next week.

And I hear ya on the heat. I brewed today in Kentucky with a heat index of 110 degrees. I made a cheap 20 foot chiller and I was able to get down to 80 in about 45 minutes then I put it in a tub of cold water that I use during fermentation. Pitched the yeast a couple hours later.

 

[JoeyChopps]

Dude same thing just happened to me I made an order with ahs and the forth f'ed up my order so it sat in a hot warehouse in Atlanta over the weekend I started a starter Tuesday and it was slow as hell but it looks like I got some life going and it arrived on my door step hot so ur yeast should be fine

 

[JasonO]

Good point. Doesn't hurt to try. I will start it and see how it goes. Unfortunately, it's going to be way too hot to boil this weekend...100 tomorrow and no wort chiller...and I don't want to spend a hundred bucks on ice...plus SWMBO doesn't want her kitchen heated up...lol, so I'll wait until next weekend. Thanks all!

Worse case head up to Maltose in Monroe and pick up some yeast. This time of year I get a most of my grain and hops online but still pickup my yeast local.

 

[BeerCyclist]

Here is my starter after about 30 hours at room temp. I haven't seen any krausen, but it looks like the yeast are healthy. The weather also just got a lot cooler and I'm considering a boil tonight. Any reason why this might not take-off in a 5 gallon batch of wort? *not only is this my first starter, but also my first batch of homebrew*

 

[commonsenseman]

Looks like you have some healthy yeast there! Depending on the S.G. of your kit you may want to step it up though, just to be sure you're pitching enough healthy yeast. Check out mrmalty.com for a calculator to determine the starter size needed.

 

[mrduna01]

Beautiful yeast there! You should be fermenting in no time! Just be sure not to pitch in to wort too hot.

 

[BigTerp]

You should be fine. Your starter looks 10x better than mine. I made a 1.5 liter starter on Thursday evening of a Wyeast American Ale II that followed the heat wave to my house from Monday to Thursday. It arrived to 100 degree temperatures on Thursday. When I got home from work and opened my package the smack pack was literally hot to the touch. I only gave the starter 36 hours since I was brewing on Saturday. You can see from my picture it didn't look the greatest. I pitched the entire starter and by Sunday morning I had some slow but steady bubbling from my airlock. This morning my airlock was going crazy.

 

[BeerCyclist]

You should be fine. Your starter looks 10x better than mine. I made a 1.5 liter starter on Thursday evening of a Wyeast American Ale II that followed the heat wave to my house from Monday to Thursday. It arrived to 100 degree temperatures on Thursday. When I got home from work and opened my package the smack pack was literally hot to the touch. I only gave the starter 36 hours since I was brewing on Saturday. You can see from my picture it didn't look the greatest. I pitched the entire starter and by Sunday morning I had some slow but steady bubbling from my airlock. This morning my airlock was going crazy.


Thanks, BigTerp! That's awesome...and encouraging. I pitched at about 11 last night in a nice cool cellar. Hoping to see some activity by the time I get home this afternoon. I optimistically used a blow off tube

 

[BigTerp]

Thanks, BigTerp! That's awesome...and encouraging. I pitched at about 11 last night in a nice cool cellar. Hoping to see some activity by the time I get home this afternoon. I optimistically used a blow off tube

Cool deal. Saturday was my first brew as well. You seem to be like me in trying to get things right from the start. I was moderately concerned about my yeast, but after reading everything on here, I was pretty convinced it would take off. I probably should have used a blow off tube as well since my airlock has some flecks of krausen in it already. I did use fermcap during the boil though, so hopefully I don't come home to a blown lid!! I also need to get one of those nice flasks like you have. The mason jar worked ok, but was kind of akward to handle with 1.5 liters of fluid in it.