Online white labs purchase

[Southern_Junior]

so i bought yeast online for the first time ever. when it arrived, the ice pack was warm and the vial looked very strange. there was no liquid at all in the vial. it was as if the yeast consumed all the water that i usually see.

is this a bad sign?

 

[Southern_Junior]

 

[ChefRex]

I'd be a little worried about the no liquid, are you planing a starter? I would start with a lower gravity, Say 1.020 or so then step it up from there, you'll probably be fine.

 

[biestie]

As opposed to being compacted in the bottom of the vial with a layer of liquid on top (like it comes out of the fridge)? No, not a bad sign. Perfectly normal. It's been bouncing around on a truck, and warm. It just got mixed up.

 

[Southern_Junior]

idk, i have a hard time believing that the yeast ate up all that liquid(wort? nutrient?)

 

[duboman]

Unless the vial leaked during shipping there should've liquid in the vial.

Also, the yeast should be fine. Make a starter to ensure proper pitch rate

 

[Southern_Junior]

thats what im saying! nothing. just dried yeast slurry on the side of the vial!

 

[duboman]

thats what im saying! nothing. just dried yeast slurry on the side of the vial!

Then it's a faulty package and I wouldn't use it, contact the retailer and get a credit or new vial and get some new yeast

 

[zendog]

E-mail WL too. They should be aware of such issues. Also, you might get a coupon for a free vial!

 

[daksin]

Yea, your vial leaked. I had one leak recently, they'll replace it.

 

[MrDavis]

This just happened to me. The liquid leaked out, soaked into the pouch the vial was in. Zero liquid in the vial, yeast caked to one side of the vial. Since I was planning on brewing the next day, i made a starter. I poured a little wort in the vial and shook like crazy to get the yeast loosened up. Let the starter sit overnight, pitched it and BAM! It took right off. Vermont ale yeast in a Heady Topper clone.

 

[roguenroll]

ive got no liquid yeast experience, but started to look around.

summer months are hard to send liquid yeast, the ice packs dont last. I dont know how that might effect the outcome. cant be great

but I started looking local, and I have some options, maybe you do too.

Get your kit online, and the yeast local. (if you can)

thats kind of the end of my short study of the situation.

 

[MrDavis]

That's what I used to do, before my homebrew shop shut down.

 

[roguenroll]

bummer, well ship from real close, 1 day

 

[kh54s10]

It is really just speculation on this without seeing it. If it is just really mixed, thus no separate yeast and liquid portions it is probably perfectly fine. It it is a wet slurry make a starter and most likely it it fine. You should be making a starter in any case.

If it truly has no liquid it has either leaked or there was a problem in packaging. Call for a replacement/refund.

Unless it gets really hot shipping in summer should not be a problem, order with a cool pack for insurance, cool asap when it arrives and make a starter. If you are in a zone that takes a long time for ground shipping, spring for expedited shipping, buy from somewhere closer, buy from your LHBS or use dry until fall.

 

[mxstar21]

ive got no liquid yeast experience, but started to look around.

summer months are hard to send liquid yeast, the ice packs dont last. I dont know how that might effect the outcome. cant be great

but I started looking local, and I have some options, maybe you do too.

Get your kit online, and the yeast local. (if you can)

thats kind of the end of my short study of the situation.

If an ice pack is shipped with the yeast it is usually fine in my experience. I have had liquid yeast shipped to me when I lived in Hawaii, and I have had it shipped to me when living in Virginia during July and August. Buying local is best if you can.