Can I Save Wort For Weeks To Reuse Later For A Starter?

BVilleggiante · Feb 10, 2012

If I take some of my wort from a finished brew and want to use that later in roughly two weeks to make a starter, can I do that by refrigerating or freezing it and then reheating it to pitching temps i.e. 68 degrees or so?

If I can do this, can someone who's done it tell me how they go about doing it?

Cheers!

mightynintendo · Feb 10, 2012

Yes, you can do this. Lots of people do this.

You should dilute your wort to a 1.040 gravity before using it as a starter though. And be sure to dilute with boiled water. This is much easier than using DME to make a starter IMHO.

BVilleggiante · Feb 10, 2012

Thank you! Approximately how long can the wort stay good for in the refrigerator?

aubiecat · Feb 10, 2012

BVilleggiante said:
Thank you! Approximately how long can the wort stay good for in the refrigerator?

Freeze it.

mightynintendo · Feb 10, 2012

you know i don't really know... obviously everything has an expiration date but i've never stored wort for more than a month in the fridge. I felt that a month was pushing it but it could be that it was just fine. there can be microbial growth in the refrigerator so you need to make sure it's covered and sealed and in a sanitized glass (or other smooth) container. freezing for long storage is a much better idea.

BVilleggiante · Feb 10, 2012

Thanks!

suprchunk · Feb 10, 2012

You could always can it and keep it indefinitely, well for a really really long time.

Euphist · Feb 10, 2012

suprchunk said:
You could always can it and keep it indefinitely, well for a really really long time.

Keep in mind that wort is not acidic enough for boiling water canning...it must be pressure canned.

teddy4xp · Feb 10, 2012

I know a guy who saves 3 cups of his first runnings and uses that to bottle instead of sugar.

suprchunk · Feb 11, 2012

Euphist said:
Keep in mind that wort is not acidic enough for boiling water canning...it must be pressure canned.

I don't consider boiling then letting it seal to actually be canning. Canning, to me, is always done under pressure.

diS · Feb 11, 2012

I always have few quarts of canned wort for future starters.
Check this:
http://brewznet.wordpress.com/procedures/canned-starter-wort/

Euphist · Feb 11, 2012

suprchunk said:
I don't consider boiling then letting it seal to actually be canning. Canning, to me, is always done under pressure.

I was referring to boiling water bath cannning...the way most fruit products (jam, applesauce, etc.)

suprchunk · Feb 11, 2012

Euphist said:
I was referring to boiling water bath cannning...the way most fruit products (jam, applesauce, etc.)

Yep, that is what I said.

HollisBT · Feb 11, 2012

mightynintendo said:
you know i don't really know... obviously everything has an expiration date but i've never stored wort for more than a month in the fridge. I felt that a month was pushing it but it could be that it was just fine. there can be microbial growth in the refrigerator so you need to make sure it's covered and sealed and in a sanitized glass (or other smooth) container. freezing for long storage is a much better idea.

Could you not bring it back up to a boil to kill off any nasties prior to feeding it to your yeast?

I had considered trying this before, I was thinking I could maybe collect and separate the hop trub and whatnot out of the bottom of my boil kettle and keeping it in a growler or other container to use as a starter. Then when I a ready to start, boil the wort to clean off the nasties, and go forward with my starter method as usual. Any reason why this wouldn't/shouldn't work?

conpewter · Feb 11, 2012

I do something similar to HollisBT. I always tend to have some wort left in the kettle I can either squeeze out of the hop trub, or I have some left in the chiller etc. I'll collect that and put it in a freezer bag and freeze it. Then when I want ot use it as a starter I thaw it (usually in the fridge, sometimes in the microwave) and bring it to a boil in my flask to make sure it is sterile. It is a bit of work, but generally just as much as making a starter usually is.

mightynintendo · Feb 11, 2012

HollisBT said:
Could you not bring it back up to a boil to kill off any nasties prior to feeding it to your yeast?

I had considered trying this before, I was thinking I could maybe collect and separate the hop trub and whatnot out of the bottom of my boil kettle and keeping it in a growler or other container to use as a starter. Then when I a ready to start, boil the wort to clean off the nasties, and go forward with my starter method as usual. Any reason why this wouldn't/shouldn't work?

i would definitley bring it back up to a boil before adding starter yeast. this would also be a good time to dilute the wort to 1.040 gravity. you just need to be careful with wort because it's has the perfect pH and sugar content to allow for very easy contamination/spoilage. constant vigilance every step of the way. if you turn your back it will go sour on you!

Can I Save Wort For Weeks To Reuse Later For A Starter?

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

BVilleggiante

Well-Known Member

mightynintendo

Supporting Member

BVilleggiante

Well-Known Member

aubiecat

Well-Known Member

mightynintendo

Supporting Member

BVilleggiante

Well-Known Member

suprchunk

It is though

Euphist

Supporting Member

teddy4xp

Supporting Member

suprchunk

It is though

diS

Well-Known Member

Euphist

Supporting Member

suprchunk

It is though

HollisBT

Well-Known Member

conpewter

Well-Known Member

mightynintendo

Supporting Member

Similar threads

Latest posts

Can I Save Wort For Weeks To Reuse Later For A Starter?

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

Well-Known Member

Supporting Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Supporting Member

Well-Known Member

It is though

Supporting Member

Supporting Member

It is though

Well-Known Member

Supporting Member

It is though

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Supporting Member

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!