Yeast Arrived HOT!

[Warped04]

Hey,

I just moved out here, and when I ordered my yeast, (It's only been years since I last brewed) I remember it coming in Ice Packs. Well of course after it shows up not in one, I NOW remember you have to request the ice packs.

It's 106 degrees outside, and I imagine the little yeasties are just frying. The problem is we live in the boonies where predicting when UPS will show is iffy.

Do you think these little guys will be ok to pitch or should I hold off on the brew and get a backup in ice packs sent?

It's WLP001, and it's Best Before Date is 10/19/07. Of course I gave them a 15 minute freezer bath, and now moved into the refridgerator.

Thanks for the help.

-Wally

 

[Beerrific]

Make a starter. This is the best way to tell if they are viable and to increase cell count if some did die.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Starter

And remeber RDWHAHB!!

 

[howlinowl]

Last supplies I ordered, my yeast came without ice packs. Of course, I ordered from a supplier in state, so it only took a day to come here. Made a starter and everything was ok. If I had ordered from the other side of the country and took 4 days to come I would have freaked out.

Allan

 

[Warped04]

3 days for travel, but hopefully it's only hot trip was today. I also don't have any DME (I was planning on waiting for the slow start with just the pitch). I'll just use a Little Liquid Malt Extract that came with the kit and make a starter.

And if I had some Homebrew, I would drink it

 

[djflesch]

As mentioned before, make a starter and that will tell you if your yeast is good before you pitch it into 5G or more of wort. Other than really high temperatures, the biggest no no for yeast is temperature shock, which is very quick changes in temperature. I would not recommend putting liquid yeast in the freezer at all! If you read your bag, it probably even says "don't freeze". I understand that your intent was just to cool it a bit and then take it out, but it would be much better to do that slowly with some cool tap water and then the fridge--not the freezer

 

[efreem01]

I don't speak from personal experience (but personal failure) but it's a really good idea to make a starter with every batch that uses liquid yeast. I just bought a vial of Pacific Ale yeast from my LHBS and pitched it directly into the cooled wort. The friggin lag was nearly 72 hours before i got bubbles! Either the viable cell count was really low, i thermal shocked the hell out of my yeasties, or some other factor led to this. Looking back, i should have done a starter, and will do so for every batch from now on.