I have just started to use liquid yeast and am very happy with it. The concern I have is shipping it during the cold winter months. Is there any precautions one takes when they order liquid yeast over cold months?
Your better off in the winter yeast doesnt like heat and summer is harder on yeast. It needs to ship usually 2nd day with an ice pack
Just try not to let the package set outside for any longer than necessary. I’ve had a couple slushy yeast packs already this winter. They all turned out fine though after throwing them into a starter.
One of the yeast guys ( Wyeast I think ) was on the Brewing Network and said even if it freezes, you only lose about 10% viability. But I would recommend a starter regardless.
Sorry to hijack the thread, but I have a question related to this - I’ve bought some yeast here in the US, that I’ll take back to the UK. Should I use an icepack that’s been frozen or just that’s been in the refrigerator?
The frozen ice pack will keep it colder, longer. Since the ice pack will start defrosting as soon as you take it out of the freezer, it’s unlikely it’s going to freeze your yeast.
Cold has way, way less impact on yeast than heat. Remember, yeast are wild animals (actually fungi ;D) that have survived millions of winters.
Just to be safe, wrap the frozen cold pack in a paper towel. It will be fine. You might put it in the checked baggage too, I suspect it will be cooler there than in the cabin.
Watch the weather forecast in the region and try to time the shipment based on the weather. I try to order my yeast in the fall and spring months to avoid a potential problem like freezing or overheating. If you really need it, I would overnight or at least second day ship on a moderate forecast.
Good Luck!
With the current regulations, it has to go in the hold. I just want to be sure that the vials make it with some viability.
What did you get? You said vials, so White Labs?
Wyeast propagators should be small enough to take on the plane, but either way I’d put it in the hold. And I’d put it in some kind of ziploc bag just in case :) It probably won’t be an issue since they are shipped all of the time, but you never know.
Shoot an 8 hour trip? I’m assuming you’re flying from NY. A frozen 20oz pop bottle alongside your yeast packed in the suitcase should still icy when you get home. And the yeast cold.
Probably they’d be ok even without that. The temps they’ll travel in will be cold. Cold NY. Cold airplane hold. England is probably pretty chilly too.
I got some White Labs vials, on the basis that I have had a Wyeast Activator smacked in transit. Wyeast Propagators didn’t even occur to me, but they would have been another way to go.
An yes, it’s an 8 hour flight from NY to London, followed by a 2 hour drive at the other end. In all, transit time will probably be 16 hours.
Unpacked the vials from my bags a few hours. Packed with an ice pack wrapped in a paper towel. All seemed fine and at araound refrigerator temps. Thanks for the advice!
Safe and sound the little expatriates are… awwww, ;D
Glad it worked out 
So what strains did you get?
For myself: WLP001 (Cal Ale), WLP002 (English Ale), WLP011(European Ale), WLP568 (Saison Blend), WLP810 (SF Lager), WLP036 (Dusseldorf Alt), WLP 500 (Trappist).
And a whole assortment brought back for others in my club.
You’ll probably laugh that I brought English and European strains back to Europe, but they are actually surprisingly hard to come by in the UK. Where liquid yeasts are available the range is limited and they are more expensive than the US by at least half as much again. They are also not always stored properly - I’ve seen smack packs here in one HBS out on the open shelves, unrefrigerated. Some things are available from Brewlab as slants, but this is mostly limited to various British strains (which I could bring to the US next time I come and mail on if people are interested).