Yeast Arrived at Room Temp. Still Good?

[greglovesbeer]

I wanted to try out the recipe builder @ Brewmaster's Warehouse and put together my needs for a British Mild. As I didn't know when I'd be able to make it to B3 next (They need to stay open later ) I added a vial of WL002 to the order with their $1 icepack.

The order was Packed on 9/16 and I received it on 9/22 (6 days). When the package arrived, the icepack and yeast were the same temp as the rest of the box.

As this was an "experiment" of sorts, I'd don't mind if the yeast is unusable. But is It? What do folks do/expect when they don't have the convenience of a LHBS?

I'll be heading through concord on Saturday, and can pick up a fresh vial if needed.

-Greg

PS: This isn't intended to be a dig at Brewmaster's Warehouse. Their website was excellent and the order was fulfilled well. A big plus was getting the exact amount of grain I needed for the batch. Being in California, it just may not be feasible to buy liquid yeast from across the country.

[ApresSkiBrewer]

Whats the expiration date on the vial?

Build a starter and you'll definitely be fine (as long as the starter behaves/tastes normal), esp. w/ a low grav. beer like a mild.

[greglovesbeer]

Mid January 2010.

[Bugeater]

You should be fine Still, make a starter anyway.

Wayne

[bleachcola]

Have to go with second day air when ordering yeast.

[Brandon]

Blah...Make a starter and you will be fine...Plenty of people step up yeast the bottom of a 12oz bottle of beer and those conditions are usually worse off than what your vial went through.

[ajdelange]

One of the advantages of making a starter is that you are testing the yeast. If the starter doesn't show signs of healthy fermentation within reasonable time (be sure to oxygenate it well and give it some yeast nutrient) then the yeast were not healthy when they arrived. There should be no problem with exposure to room temperature for a few days and even if they were sitting in a truck parked in the sun for a day or 2 the packaging would provide some protection. If the starter doesn't "start", don't pitch the yeast.