Smack Pack Dillema

[Brew Cat]

So three days ago my yeast was shipped in an insulation envelope with an ice pack. Just got and the pack is melted and it's warm. Do you think that will affect the viability. Expires Dec. I stopped using.uch liquid yeast when the local home brew place closed for just this reason

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Recently I ordered liquid yeast online for the first time. The ice packs had melted and the yeast was room temperature (68°F/20°C). Both packs performed as expected. So as long as the yeast didn't arrive hot, you it should be good.

 

[Donoroto]

Go ahead and use it, but have a spare pack of dry yeast just in case.

 

[TerryDowning]

Make a starter. If it takes you’re good to go. I try to keep a variety of dry yeast on hand for backup.

 

[Megary]

If you smack it and it expands, it should be fine. If it doesn’t expand in a few hours it might still be fine…but might not. Like Don said, have a pack of dry yeast at the ready, just in case.

 

[Brew Cat]

Make a starter. If it takes you’re good to go. I try to keep a variety of dry yeast on hand for backup.

I plan on that unfortunately it's London aLe III
For a Julius clone and really no substitute
I'm sure it's fine and a day before I'll smack it for a starter so I'll know before brew day.

 

[Dave Y]

Big. Honking. Starter.
if temps were high there may have been some cells compromised. Give that yeast culture a jump start like Frankenstein’s monster and don’t look back.

 

[Limey]

I haven't used a smack-pack in years - mostly for the same reason! They are expensive - to buy and to ship - and usually arrived warm. I never had a fermentation problem with them, but I only had one swell like it said on the packet! Now I just use dry yeast - it's cheap and it works. I do typically do the "re-hydration" thing 'cause it makes me feel better, and I typically have active fermentation within a few hours of pitching!

YMMV

 

[Brew Cat]

I haven't used a smack-pack in years - mostly for the same reason! They are expensive - to buy and to ship - and usually arrived warm. I never had a fermentation problem with them, but I only had one swell like it said on the packet! Now I just use dry yeast - it's cheap and it works. I do typically do the "re-hydration" thing 'cause it makes me feel better, and I typically have active fermentation within a few hours of pitching!

YMMV

I mostly use dry nowadays but have never been able to find a dry that works in my NEIPA

 

[Josh Hughes]

I mostly use dry nowadays but have never been able to find a dry that works in my NEIPA

Have you tried Verdant?

 

[Brew Cat]

Have you tried Verdant?

I have not but the money I have in the Julius clone I'm not willing to experiment. I'll do a big starter and pitch it at high krausen
I maybe grab some and do an experiment with my SOS clone. I've been meaning to brew that again

 

[Josh Hughes]

I have not but the money I have in the Julius clone I'm not willing to experiment. I'll do a big starter and pitch it at high krausen

Don’t blame you there. Sometime Give it a shot if you like London III. Verdant is from a brewery in England and it’s an isolate from a multi pitch of London III that they use. I’ve made the same beer back to back with London III and verdant and it is SUPER similar. Obviously bias can come into play in my part. It attenuates more but still has that nice softness to it that you get from London III and has fruitiness at higher temps. I don’t make hazies, I’ve used it in bitters and browns

 

[Megary]

I mostly use dry nowadays but have never been able to find a dry that works in my NEIPA

Lallemand Pomona is another dry yeast worth trying in a NEIPA.

 

[Craigerrr]

I use Lallemand VOSS dry yeast for NEIPA, and ferment at 30C. I didn't like the tangy flavor it gave off at lower temperatures, ferments pretty clean at the higher temps

 

[Daniel Parshley]

So three days ago my yeast was shipped in an insulation envelope with an ice pack. Just got and the pack is melted and it's warm. Do you think that will affect the viability. Expires Dec. I stopped using.uch liquid yeast when the local home brew place closed for just this reason

I'm down south, a mile from the heat of hadies, and was told from the start to use only dry yeast or be prepared for failure. Don't know where you are, but it has been good advice. Even the brew store 75 miles away recommended against it because of the distance. Many others told me the same.

 

[Sandy Feet]

I'm not sure I would want to ship it, but I can pick up mine and have it home in about 20 minutes.

 

[west1m]

I'm not sure I would want to ship it, but I can pick up mine and have it home in about 20 minutes.

It got shipped to the store...

 

[Brew Cat]

Yeah well I pretty much switched to dry when the homebrew shop near me closed. If you pick it up bring a cooler. Although the hb shop is getting it delivered in the heat right? I guess I'll plan better next time and order when it's cool. Although the smack pack expanded pretty quickly

 

[Dave Y]

I’ve have yeast shipped to me with cooler packs; if the supplier is a single day away, it’s generally not an issue unless it’s triple digits and no less than high 80’s at night or worse. Think about it, the yeast doesn’t get all the way from manufacturer to distributor to retailer refrigerated the entire time. MAYBE one of those legs is climate controlled, but unless you get it shipped with cool packs it’s not. I’ve got a shop about 90 minutes drive from me that is usually well stocked and in a pinch I will get liquid yeast shipped from them in an insulated container with cool packs. I call them and coordinate so it does not ship over a weekend.

Dry yeast will definitely be more resistant to some mild heat but liquid yeast should be cooled as best as possible.
I’ve been 99F or higher for a few weeks.