ordering live yeast in the mail

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pfish83

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I ordered brew supplies from Northern Brewer in Minnesota but live in NJ. My concern is for the yeast liability. I ordered live yeast. It won't be here for 5 days. I ordered it with two freezer packs but forgot that Monday was a holiday so it's taking longer than expected. Should I be concerned?
 
Agreed, it is cold just about everywhere so they should be fine. But when in doubt just make a starter.
 
White labs or Wyeast? if it's a Wyeast pack you at leave have some indication ahead of time of viability based on the pack swelling. If you ordered a White Labs vial, or the smack pack seems a big sluggish, make a starter with it. Even if it arrives a little frozen, you should be fine.
 
Everywhere between MN and NJ is pretty damn cold this time of year. Your box will be indoors for a few hours while its at a distribution center transferring trucks. The delivery guys truck probably has heat but the back is still pretty cold. So even without ice packs it would still be good to go.
 
I ordered wyeast in arizona in the middle of summer. the packs come, they are warm, but they work. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
I would advise to always make a starter with liquid yeast. Even "fresh" yeast arriving at your door could only have 50% viability. Making a starter ensures a healthy start to your fermentation.
 
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