12 replies to this topic

[siouxbrewer]

Looking to buy some yeast and other odds and ends from Austin Homebrew. It's hot there and hot here so I can only imagine those vials sitting on a truck in the middle of the day being a little uncomfortable. Do the ice paks work when the heat is like this? Or is it worth waiting till things cool down before I order?

[Brewmasters Warehouse]

Looking to buy some yeast and other odds and ends from Austin Homebrew. It's hot there and hot here so I can only imagine those vials sitting on a truck in the middle of the day being a little uncomfortable. Do the ice paks work when the heat is like this? Or is it worth waiting till things cool down before I order?

The important thing when ordering liquid yeast and ice packs is to check when it is going to be shipped. An ice pack over a 2 day transit will most likely be fine, but if you order on Thursday or Friday and it ships prior to Monday then a 5 day transit time (over the weekend) will likely cause the yeast to at least be very stressed, or worse not viable when they arrive. I personally will call customers with liquid yeast on order and ask if they want to wait until Monday to have it shipped if the package will not arrive before the weekend.Ed

[siouxbrewer]

Thanks for the heads up! I think I'll place my order through BW, with the money I save I can buy a couple extra ice paks! BTW, would you recommend a shipping upgrade for quicker delivery?

[MtnBrewer]

Do additional ice packs even help? Seems like two packs would melt in the same amount of time that one would.

[siouxbrewer]

Do additional ice packs even help? Seems like two packs would melt in the same amount of time that one would.

This is what I was wondering. Is it more beneficial to upgrade the shipping? I think two or more paks would keep it cooler longer (larger thermal mass), but if it spends several days in shipping I think it would be a moot point. On a side note I'm digging BW's selection and prices!

[MtnBrewer]

I honestly don't know the answer sioux. I get my yeast locally about 95% of the time and I don't recall ever buying any online during the summer. I think if you get the 2 day delivery, one ice pack should be enough for one pack/vial of yeast. If you're getting more than that, more packs might be in order.

[3rd party JKor]

More packs will last longer. How much longer depends on the level of insulation that's provided by the enclosure.

[Brewmasters Warehouse]

More packs will last longer. How much longer depends on the level of insulation that's provided by the enclosure.

You are correct our testing shows that 2 ice packs lasts longer than 1 ice pack. There are a lot of varaibles at play so your mileage may vary as to how much longer. We use insulated envelopes (similar to the bags you can buy at grocery store chains that keep things cold) that are included in a purchase of an ice pack.Thanks,Ed

[djinkc]

SB, I would hit up the LBG yeast bank or post on LBG this time of year for yeast. I got a couple propagators from Midwest a few weeks ago when it was pushing 100df here. I did not check or ask for ice packs because........... forgot - still only a 2 day shipment since I ordered early in the week. I almost dumped them but the starter took off finally and the yeast and wort tasted OK to me I just threw the yeast in because I was ordering a black tap handles and the shipping stayed the same. This time of year try to get it local. Just my 2 cents Lee

[Stout_fan]

No better reason to support your LHBS

[stelladog]

I've ordered Wyeast from Northern Brewer and added 2-3 extra ice packs for the order. I'm in Oregon, and using their "standard $7.99" shipping, the ice packs are melted by the time they arrive, even with the insulated packing that NB does.I'm assuming it takes at least 5 days to get here, but I don't know when the ice packs finally melted. NB has done a good job of packing these, but adding in the cost of the fastest overnight or second day delivery makes the yeast very very expensive.I've never had a Wyeast pack from NB ever not inflate, the times vary, but they have all inflated.

[siouxbrewer]

No better reason to support your LHBS

Yeah except my LHBS is half an hour away and doesn't sell White Labs, looking for the premium bitter and bastogne strains from last month. Would love to have these for the LBG bank.