Yeast partly frozen in shipping

[unionrdr]

Never had this happen before. Just my luck temp this morning was 11F without factoring in wind chill. The tube of WL029 kolsch yeast was about half frozen. Or the yeast was but the liquid wasn't? Anyway, never having had to deal with this, do any of you guys that freeze yeast see this as a problem? Should I make a starter with it or what? * Over & above making starters for liquid yeast anyway. My hands are still freezing from opening the box & unpacking it all. Even the pilsen LME was a little frozen in one corner!

 

[Zolon]

So out of my wheel house, still, but here is what I could find on it.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/freezing-yeast.html

 

[BlkWater_brewer]

I would definitely make a starter 1.6 - 2 liter, 1.04 SG. The yeast is probably OK just a bit stressed. Let it warm to room temp before pitching and aerate well. Yeast is pretty hardy but doesn't like the cold anymore than you.

 

[Braufessor]

make a starter. I had the same exact thing happen with 3 packs last year...... they were slush when I received them. I was worried, but made starters and all 3 took right off, no problems at all. I would definitely do a starter to confirm - but my bet is you will be ok.

 

[unionrdr]

I was concerned, since freezing a turkey, for example, makes it denser & takes longer to cook by the cell walls bursting while freezing. Or fruit & veggies that are firm going mushy when thawed. That sort of thing. I have it in my vest pocket now (hunting vest you all know) to thaw it & warm up a bit. I have a 1L flask & 3.15lb jug of pilsner malt that just came in. Not sure I have any DME though. So I could make an 800mL or so starter to at least get'em going again? I was thinking 800mL water with the extra .15lb of LME not accounted for in my kottbusser recipe for the starter/wake up juice?
My luck Midwest doesn't pack & ship on weekends! it was between 40-54F from there to here over the weekend. Monday the temps plummeted. Damn.

 

[Braufessor]

Yeah - I don't think it is good for the yeast by any means..... but, in practice, they seemed fine when it happened to me last year and I got them rolling with a 1-1.5L starter and was brewing 1.045-1.06 type beers with them.

 

[BrewerinBR]

I have frozen yeast many times and often do so deliberately to extend it's life. I have froze both dry and liquid, both the WLP Vials and the Wyeast Smack Pak. I have made starters and frozen them as well.

Allow the liquid to thaw and make a starter and the yeast will be fine. For some reason freezing yeast does not hurt it. Heat to 120F and its dead. I have read a report on bread yeast that was left in the Antarctic for 2 years and was just perfect when thawed and revived.

 

[flars]

According to Wyeast, one freeze/thaw cycle may reduce viability by 10%. A simple starter should take care of it.

 

[unionrdr]

Good things to know. I was hoping for a low body count. I thought a day or two in a small starter would do it?