Is it okay that I froze my homebrew yeast?!
Is it okay that I froze my homebrew yeast?
It was a long drive from the homebrew supply shop, so it was cooled off by the time I got home and I wasn't thinking and stuck it in the freezer instead of the fridge. It's a liquid belgian wit from white labs. I probably left it in there for a couple of hours, enough to freeze it solid. I stuck it back in the fridge to thaw it slowly. Will it still be okay?
Answers:
It's probably dead. Make a starter just to be sure.
If you've never made a starter, just boil a cup of DME in water for about 5 minutes. Cover the pot and cool it in the fridge until it's room temp. In a sanitized jar (I use mason jars), combine the liquid and the yeast, close the lid, and shake it like a baby. Remove the lid and cover the jar with some plastic wrap. Leave it in a dark sheltered spot for a couple of days. Try to pitch the yeast when it gets all foamy, about a day or two. If it never foams up, your yeast is dead.