Could I steep grains a day early?

I'm running into some time crunch and am wondering if I could steep my specialty grains tonight and leave the results covered on the stove then add DME and finish brewing tomorrow. I can't think of any reason not to, but you never know. Thanks.

Well there's a good chance that when that steeped wort cools off lactobasilus from the surface of the grain will grow and leave you with sour wort. You will kill it off more than likely with the boil the next day, but that won't get rid of the sourness.

One of the tricks to making a true guiness clone is to do something similar, leave a portion of wort out overnight to sour, and that is added to the mashed wort the next day.

So you didn't think of that reason, eh?

If you have ever smelled spent grain a few days after brewing you will know this sour smell and flavor very well.

Maybe if you pasteurize it you would be better off for the overnight storage but you are then modifying your recipe in some regard.

You will end up with about a gallon or so of "sugary barley tea" (wort) that is just dieing for something to consume it, like germs for instance. Unless you pasteurize it some how and store it properly, it will not keep over night. It is most likely to pick up some sort of infection, and will lead to bad flavors. The only thing that I can think of is for you to steep, boil, and put it into the fridge. But then, the next day, during your time crunch brew, you'll have to heat up a gallon or so of wort from 40 degrees. ....you really cant stand for your brew to take an extra 30 minutes to steep the grain?

Scut_Monkey said:

Maybe if you pasteurize it you would be better off for the overnight storage but you are then modifying your recipe in some regard.

Click to expand...

That's not a bad idea...after you steep and take the grains out take it up to (what is it 170, 180?) pasteurizing temp for 15 minutes. Then cool it quickly and stick it in the fridge overnight is a sealed container. That will keep it from souring and make it usable the next day.

The other option would be to pour it in a cooler while still hot, wrap it in an insulated sleeping bag or on a heating pad, and put it in the furnace room right near the furnace or waterheater, where it is warm, and keep it ABOVE lacto producing temps overnight. Just like some folks mash overnight and sparge the next day. They say the only get a 1-2 degree temp drop in the cooler overnight.

Ha ha. Or just get up early tomorrow and figure out a way to get it done! Thanks for the info. I learn something here all the time.

Scut_Monkey said:

If you have ever smelled spent grain a few days after brewing you will know this sour smell and flavor very well.

Click to expand...

Yeah Lactobasillus stinks to high heaven. I once got nearly attacted by a pack of LLamas for trying to feed them few days old, stored in the freezer, spent grain, that started to thaw on the hour drive in the summer.

I almost died, I swear......


Lamma spit ain't fun.

Revvy said:

Yeah Lactobasillus stinks to high heaven. I once got nearly attacted by a pack of LLamas for trying to feed them few days old, stored in the freezer, spent grain, that started to thaw on the hour drive in the summer.

I almost died, I swear......


Lamma spit ain't fun.

Click to expand...

Were these just random llamas you were driving past? Only you Revvy!

Revvy said:

Lamma spit ain't fun.

Click to expand...

That is either a great signature or the name of my next pale ale "Llama Spit."

Scut_Monkey said:

Were these just random llamas you were driving past? Only you Revvy!

Click to expand...

No they were my ex girlfriend's or as she was referred to on here during the tirals and tribulations of seeing her, "Psycho Irish Chick." She raised them.

Did you see the spit comment ended up on someone's sig line? I saw it last night....LOL