Liquid yeast in the mail

[jmart84]

I'm looking at obtaining liquid yeast online. I don't have a local brew shop so it's either a 3 hour drive or mail order. Does anyone have a bad experience with getting liquid yeast in the mail d/t hot summer months? It will be shipped with ice packs, however, I still have my reservations.

 

[wardens355]

Try to order from a vendor that is closer to you with a shorter ship time (checkout the FedEx and UPS maps). You could also add multiple ice packs. Keep an eye on tracking information and try to get home quickly if the package is going to sit in the sun. I have ordered a couple times online and they have turned out OK, but I am more comfortable doing it during the cooler months.

 

[firerat]

For what it's worth, I live in South Florida and order the vast majority of my yeast from Austin Homebrew in TX.

It's ALWAYS hot here year round. I've yet to receive a vial or pack or dead yeast.

I've ordered from a lot of other vendors too with the same results.

 

[kh54s10]

Watch the weather and make sure you don't order during a heat wave.
Order from as close to you as possible.
Place your order so that shipping does not include a weekend or holiday.
?? pay extra for next day delivery ??

Use dry yeast during the summer.

Take a vacation and visit a homebrew shop on your trip.

Reuse yeast you already have.

 

[TheMadKing]

A LHBS owner just posted on here that they received a shipment of white labs vials that had not been properly refrigerated during shipment, so they sent vials in for viability testing, and the cell viability was all higher than 92%.