Can the wort sit before boiling?
 

I have a business meeting this evening and my morning meeting went long but I intended to brew today. Can I mash now, mash out and collect the wort before leaving for the meeting, and leave the wort on the stovetop for a couple of hours before I can get back home to begin the boil?

I wouldn't sweat a couple of hours.

I don't see a problem either.
Pre boil is forgiving since you will kill anything that wants to move into the wort when you boil it.

I would keep the stove on medium-low, just so it stays hot and uninhabitable, but either way O bet you'll be fine.

Don't worry about it. Don't keep it on the stove if you don't want to.


I have left wort for a week+ in kegs before boiling it. In fact, that batch won two medals.

I always mash and collect the runnings at night. I then boil in the morning and have never had a problem. My wort sits in the covered kettle on the floor and cools overnight for 8 hours or more.

I myself would rather risk the beer than to leave the stove on while I'm out of the house for hours.
Just saying.

Throw some hops in the kettle. For a preservative. Also for FWH. TURNED out beautifully the time I accidentally did thhat.

I frequently leave my wort in the kettle (covered) on the counter for 2-3 hours while we have dinner and put the kids to bed, then start the boil. It's usually still hot enough that it's uncomfortable to touch when I get back to it, so it's not even a particularly welcoming environment for most of the lag period.

Plus, the mash is hot and long enough to pretty well sanitize the wort at the start of the process. It's going to take a while for something to find its way in and get a foothold, even if the wort does enter the temperature danger zone. (I guess this is more true for BIAB systems where there's very little contact between wort and surfaces that haven't been heated.)