[RC]

I will add: some folks think the Wyeast smackpacks are kind of gimmicky. Not me. If I see no inflation within about 12 hours, I get a plan B lined up for my yeast, just in case. Being able to assess viability in advance of pitching is extraordinarily useful. But again, DOA yeast for me has been a very rare thing, only about a half-dozen pouches in 25 years of brewing (interestingly, IIRC they have only ever been Wyeast).

[Richard]

I am also in Northern California near the MoreBeer warehouse and get very fast shipping from there. Once I ordered Wyeast online and forgot to check where it was in stock. They shipped it from Pennsylvania, and it arrived dead. I went into the retail store and told the managerwhaat happened and he gave me a replacement pack from the refrigerator. Now I buy all my liquid yeast in the store. When the store was closed for COVID I used dry yeast.

[Saccharomyces]

Herein lies the problem why I maintained a yeast bank on agar slants for many years.

[narcout]

I placed an order with Morebeer on Tuesday and paid the extra $3.99 for the insulated shipper with two ice packs.  Despite it being 90° here today (and 88° yesterday), the ice packs and yeast pouches were cool to the touch when they arrived a few hours ago.

I have a feeling this summer is going to be brutal though.  I'll probably trek out to the homebrew shop in Eagle Rock and buy a bunch of yeast when it starts getting really hot.