Windsor packet rock hard, normal?

[Fore]

I recently took delivery of Safale-05, Nottingham, and Windsor. Two of the packs seem like yeast packs I'm familiar with, i.e. powdery, but the Windsor pack is rock hard. I can hit it against a wall. Is that normal for Windsor?

I just worry that it's taken in water at some point.

 

[MyQul]

Never used Windsor myself but it's a dried yeast so should feel the same as the other two. I'd email wherever you get it from and get a replacement

 

[YeastFace]

Danstar vacuum their packets so I reckon it's ok. Not used Windsor but Belle Saison was the same as you describe.

 

[Fore]

Used it today, so can now confirm it was fine; just a very strong vacuum pack.

A quick question while I'm here. Mr Malty yeast calculator asks for 'date of production', but the pack quotes only best before. So my question is, has anyone any idea how long a shelf life Lallemand give their yeast? From that I can work out the date of production.

 

[ManseMasher]

http://www.lallemandyeast.com/articles/dry-yeast-storage

Looks like 2 years.

Used it today, so can now confirm it was fine; just a very strong vacuum pack.

A quick question while I'm here. Mr Malty yeast calculator asks for 'date of production', but the pack quotes only best before. So my question is, has anyone any idea how long a shelf life Lallemand give their yeast? From that I can work out the date of production.

 

[Fore]

http://www.lallemandyeast.com/articles/dry-yeast-storage

Looks like 2 years.

Thanks for that. Makes my pack 1 year old with 68% viability. It means I really needed to pitch with 1.2 packs as a minimum. I guess I'm safe with 1.

I never really thought about this before I was directed towards Mr Malty. How careful are people generally over this or do they pitch 1 pack into 23l and just run with it?

 

[ManseMasher]

I must admit, I'm a one pack a day man. I just assume that when I buy the yeast (I don't store any, just get it when I'm about to brew) that it's ok. I'm going to start checking from now on though!