Yeast storage temp

Greetings brewers. Two quick questions. I just received my Dead Ringer extract kit and chose the dry yeast. 1. I plan on brewing this weekend and wanted to know if I need to refrigerate the yeast. 2. When pitching, is it OK to pitch it dry or should I add via a solution. I did it dry last time and I’m not sure the yeast worked optimally. Thanks.

With dry yeast, the fridge is best, but it’ll keep months and months at room temperature. It’ll keep years at fridge temps.

With a beer of moderately high gravity like an IPA, it’s best to rehydrate in cool to warm tap water before pitching. But you can get away with pitching dry, and lots of people here do that. But it’s best practice to rehydrate. Does it make a difference? Meh.