I've just gotten what I think is my 3rd dead yeast from my LHBS.
The first was a couple months ago a White Labs tube. The was no "pfssst" when I cracked it open and my starter failed to take off.
Now this weekend I've had two dead Wyeast smack packs. The first (June 07 born on date) I got home in about half and hour. It was warm out, but the pack still felt cool to the touch when I got home. The pack never swelled, but it was getting late, so I pitched to my starter and went to bed. The next morning, nothing. I had a few month old discontinued VSS pack in the fridge that I had bought online, so just to check out my starter, I pitched it. Activity in half an hour. So I went back to the LHBS with the dead pack and they kindly gave me a replacement. This time I took a cooler and a gel pack to keep it cool on the way home. I smacked the replacement (Feb 07 BOD) and again no swelling. I pitched to a starter and again nothing this morning.
I am always very careful that my starter is cooled to 70 F or so.
I don't have time to get another starter going, so I'm going to use the VSS starter even though it's not the ideal yeast for the beer. (Yorkshire yeast for a Hobgoblin)
Am I just unlucky? It wouldn't be the first time.
What kind of failure rates are others getting on liquid yeast?
The first was a couple months ago a White Labs tube. The was no "pfssst" when I cracked it open and my starter failed to take off.
Now this weekend I've had two dead Wyeast smack packs. The first (June 07 born on date) I got home in about half and hour. It was warm out, but the pack still felt cool to the touch when I got home. The pack never swelled, but it was getting late, so I pitched to my starter and went to bed. The next morning, nothing. I had a few month old discontinued VSS pack in the fridge that I had bought online, so just to check out my starter, I pitched it. Activity in half an hour. So I went back to the LHBS with the dead pack and they kindly gave me a replacement. This time I took a cooler and a gel pack to keep it cool on the way home. I smacked the replacement (Feb 07 BOD) and again no swelling. I pitched to a starter and again nothing this morning.
I am always very careful that my starter is cooled to 70 F or so.
I don't have time to get another starter going, so I'm going to use the VSS starter even though it's not the ideal yeast for the beer. (Yorkshire yeast for a Hobgoblin)
Am I just unlucky? It wouldn't be the first time.
What kind of failure rates are others getting on liquid yeast?