Mail order yeast in summer = bad idea?

[LVBen]

Got my shipment today. The cold packs and the yeast were room temperature (but had already been sitting in the air conditioned package room of my apartment building for a few hours, who knows how hot they got beforehand), and the 1056 pack I ordered was already completely swollen. The 1028 pack was not. Both stamped early June. Question is, is it worth the time and effort to try and salvage them (could theoretically make massive stepped up starters a week a head of time), or should I just shell out for two new packs from the LHBS and make my normal starters a couple days in advance? First time I've mail ordered yeast. I normally pick it up from the LHBS and then straight into the fridge.

(That, and Northern Brewer forgot to put in my aeration stone despite charging for it. However, two minutes on the phone and one is in the mail. Hooray awesome customer service!)

I'd try making a starter and stepping it up once or twice. If the starter isn't really active, then toss it.

 

[Spitzbube]

Big thank you to thegerm or posting that pic, and Revvy for consolation that it happens to the best of us, year round. Yeah, me to-- ordered yeast in the summer by mail. MISTAKE. Won't do it again. I thought Morebeer still put cold packs in the boxes, but they didn't and the damn thing spewed all over me.

 

[rjschroed]

I've been ordering from Austin homebrew (Austin, TX) and I haven't had any problems. 3 or 4 day transit time. I use a stir plate with my starters though. I absolutely love the way they package stuff at that place plus you can order partial poundage grain (down to the ounce). Every box I've gotten is filled with packaging peanuts and everything is in nice neat air tight bags. Someone mentioned thermal mass. I wonder if the fact that my packages from them average 25 lbs has anything to do with it.

 

[thegerm]

Makes you wonder how sanitary that bursted vial is too doesn't it?

well the yeast that spewed out is unsanitary, but the yeast still in the vial would be fine(assuming it wasn't all dead from the heat), because of the obviously large positive pressure of the vial. just sanitize the vial as normal before opening (carefully) and pouring into start wort.

 

[tangofoxtrot308]

As I stated in another post ordered my whitelabs w/ ice from AHB and it came in 3 days hot. Let it cool in the frige for a few days and it spewed. 36hrs into a starter and nothing. Will be getting a replacement tube from them tommorow hope this one does better. The guy at AHB said it'd take several days at 100 degree temps before the yeast would die and all I would need is 1 yeast cell to be alive to make a starter?? Well sounds good but I prefer billions not 1. After reading the posts I will give it longer than 36hrs before I toss it ecspecially since my local store doesn't carry this style yeast, says its seasonal?? Don't know how I can get it wholesale if it's seasonal.

 

[rjschroed]

As I stated in another post ordered my whitelabs w/ ice from AHB and it came in 3 days hot. Let it cool in the frige for a few days and it spewed. 36hrs into a starter and nothing. Will be getting a replacement tube from them tommorow hope this one does better. The guy at AHB said it'd take several days at 100 degree temps before the yeast would die and all I would need is 1 yeast cell to be alive to make a starter?? Well sounds good but I prefer billions not 1. After reading the posts I will give it longer than 36hrs before I toss it ecspecially since my local store doesn't carry this style yeast, says its seasonal?? Don't know how I can get it wholesale if it's seasonal.

I've only ever ordered wyeast from anyone. Something about those vials has always rubbed me the wrong way. But good to know they're willing to replace anything apparently damaged in shipping

 

[C-Rider]

Just last week I ordered 20 packs of assorted dry yeast from Mid-West. Should be set for most of the year. Shipping was only $6 which makes bulk buying cheaper by far than getting it locally. I just kept adding packs till the shipping price went up from $6 to $10 and backed it down one.