If the water killed the yeast, then it wasn't "warm" water, but "hot" water. If you remember that body temperature is 98.6, and hot-tub water is usually 102 to 104, then 105- to 110-degree water will feel only slightly warmer than that. It takes 130 degrees or higher to kill yeast, and that would feel pretty hot to the touch. The best way to get a feel for water temperatures (pun intended) is to get an instant-read thermometer and practice feeling different temperatures of water. After a while, you'll be able to be pretty accurate just by touch.

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