Is my Activator pack okay?

[JohnnyO]

I had sent my wife some links to recipe kit ideas to get me for my recent birthday. She bought a kit with an activator pack from midwest homebrewing. I forgot to tell her this was in there. It sat in the kit box unrefrigerated for about 4 days.

Is this still a usable activator pack, or should I get a new one?

 

[SkewedBrewing]

Most likely, yes.

Did it get a little puffy from sitting at room temperature after the four days? That would mean that the yeasts started to reproduce in there a little bit and, thus, they are still alive.

 

[JohnnyO]

I'm sorry. You were saying something? Your. Avatar. Urge to landscape growing...

lol.

Thanks. The pack didn't seem to be expanded too much when I opened the kit, if at all. Being a smack pack, does that affect anything?

I promptly put the pack in the refrigerator.

Worst case scenario is that I have to use the Munton's dry yeast that was included in the kit.

 

[ifishsum]

You can ensure its success by making a starter, I'm sure they're not all dead. If it swells fairly quickly (within a couple hours) when you smack it I'd be pretty confident.

 

[SkewedBrewing]

You can ensure its success by making a starter, I'm sure they're not all dead. If it swells fairly quickly (within a couple hours) when you smack it I'd be pretty confident.

+1 to that.

I would be willing to bet that the yeast are ok. What I would do, IMHO, is open, or smack, the activator the night before. If it starts to puff up by the next morning before brewday, you're yeast are fine and ready to pitch. If nothing, then use the dry.

Glad you like the avatar