will boiling starter wort directly in Erlenmeyer flask sanitize the flask?

jigidyjim · 08-21-2009, 04:51 AM

I'm going to boil my wort directly in the glass flask, then ice bath it, then pitch the yeast. It's my first starter, i guess i'm doing 1/2 cup DME to 1 pint water or whatever the How To Brew book says.

The question I have is whether or not doing this for ~10 min will sanitize the flask, or whether I should sanitize it first.

I think glass is an insulator, so maybe not all of the flask will heat up? But then the rising steam from the wort through the top of the flask should heat up the sides... who knows. Or I could just sanitize it first anyway and be done with it.

Thanks.

jigidyjim · 08-21-2009, 04:55 AM

Hmmm... also, I was just realizing that in labs you usually hold a flask above a flame with a stand, or put it on top of some sort of mesh flame guard. I was just planning on putting it directly on the gas stove, so the flames would likely directly touch the glass. Any worries there?

Blender · 08-21-2009, 05:29 AM

I think you will be OK. Those flasks do tend to erupt a bit when they first start boiling so be on the lookout.

**coryforsenate** · 08-21-2009, 05:38 AM

That's how I do it, directly on the burner. Any flask worth having is borosilicate (pyrex) and can stand up to extreme heat. Never had a problem.

Be careful because it WILL try to overflow once the boil gets rolling.

mkorpal · 08-21-2009, 05:44 AM

I don't think boiling in the flask is an issue. But I'm not sure about moving a flask with boiling wort into an ice bath. It just seems like the extreme temperature change might shatter the flask.

**coryforsenate** · 08-21-2009, 05:50 AM

-mkorpal

I move boiling flasks from autoclaves directly to ice water all the time at work. Never had one crack. Of course, to do that it needs to be borosilicate (pyrex). Regular glass WILL crack.

Blender · 08-21-2009, 05:59 AM

To be on the safe side you can start cooling the flask in regular cold tap water for a few minutes and then move to an ice bath.

**Picobrew** · 08-21-2009, 06:12 AM

Like others have said, I boil in an erlenmeyer directly on the gas flame and this is how I santize. It is also how I sanitize the foil on the top. I use fermcap-s to control the boil, as it gets really crazy. Even with fermcap, I almost had it erupt on me today, had to spray down with a water bottle. Then I figured out lower temp boil is fine and no foam with the fermcap.

Brewsmith · 08-21-2009, 07:12 AM

No need for ice water. The small volume of wort in the flask can be cooled down with cold water from the tap. One sink full to get it down around 90 and another to get it to pitching temp.

jigidyjim · 08-21-2009, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Picobrew

Like others have said, I boil in an erlenmeyer directly on the gas flame and this is how I santize. It is also how I sanitize the foil on the top.

Can you go into a little more detail about how you sanitize the foil? Thanks!