Oh NO!!!!

[JimH]

So, I ordered some ingredients from Northern Brewer, and it just arrived. I opened up the package, only to find my yeast pack (Wyeast 1056) was swollen. It apparently popped during shipping. Ah man. What should I do?

[Beer-lord]

Give them a call. I've heard many times that they've made things worth your while.
However, depending on when you will use it, it may still be ok.

[JimH]

OK, that was easy. I called up NB, and talked to a guy. I told him my yeast pack was inflated, and he asked, without me telling him, if it was the 1056. It was. Apparently the 1056 strain gives off quite a bit of CO2 this time of year, and they get calls about it often, but very rarely do they have problems with viability. I plan on brewing early next week, so there shouldn't be a problem.

[Beer-lord]

Asked and answered! I love it when a plan comes together.

You could always make a starter, if possible, to be 100% sure.

[Kealia]

I'd recommend a starter, too - just because it's liquid yeast. Have you checked the production date against Mr Malty?
(Sorry if you're already aware of this)

I say this not because it's swollen, but because I want to get the pitch rate right.

[JimH]

Well, I don't have the setup for a starter, so I don't know if I can do that.

The production date is 19 June 14. I am unaware of Mr Malty.

[Kealia]

What is the target gravity and size of your batch?

[Beer-lord]

I actually think http://yeastcalculator.com/ is a bit better though likely more confusing.
June 19 is pretty good and as long as your not doing a very large beer, you should be ok.

[JimH]

4.5 gallon batch, 1.064 OG, 1.016 FG.

[Beer-lord]

Based on yeast calc, you really need to double your yeast count. Saying that I will also say that there are many that disagree with ALL the yeast calculators.
But you can make a starter without a stirplate and if you just shake it a few times every day for 2-3 days and double the cell count.

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[Kealia]

Thanks for posting that Paul. My lengthy post got eaten by the interwebz. (I think I got Swen'd)

In any case, Mr Malty shows the same counts - needing about 200B and you've only got about 60B-65B in that pack given the age. Even when fresh, the liquid yeast manufacturer's recommend a starter for anything over 5G and about 1.050 OG. This doesn't mean that you can't make good beer by just pitching this as I'm guessing you've been doing this before and been happy with the results.
This is just another layer you can add to your brewing if you desire (determining the optimal pitch rates). If you like the way things are now and don't want to go down this route, so be it. If you want to learn more we can explain in more detail.

Either way - here's to hoping for a successful brew day!