Extra LME What to do with Starter Solution

[NiteOwlBrewing]

First, I tried to search, but cannot even think of how to get clean results. So, I got a bulk LME containter for fermenting that appears to be about 15 gallons or so. Its HDPE, so I went for it from LHBS. Well, it had over 4 pounds of LME left in it. I dumped it out into a pot as well as the first 2+ gallons of rinse water. I'm going to bring it up to a boil, lid it and let it cool just to make sure that the hours it was draining don't let a bug in that gets to the sugars. What are my options for preserving it at that point? It will still need diluted to be suitable for yeast wrangling/starters, so I was planning on diluting and boiling for use over the next few weeks. Will this work? Other suggestions? I don't have anything to do with it presently, but I don't want to let it go to waste. Mods, if there is a more suitable forum, please move.

 

[D0ug]

I say to heck with it, boil for an hour throw in some hops at the beginning and again near the end, cool, pitch, FERMENT! :rockin:

That's just me though...

 

[NiteOwlBrewing]

Sounds like that would be a waste all the same. Should I portion and freeze maybe? Refrigerate?

 

[bad coffee]

You can either freeze it or 'can' it in mason jars. If you have a pressure cooker, you can make starter wort and sterilize it in mason jars. Store the jars until you need a starter, then open one up and go! No boiling, just a wipe down with some alcohol.

B

 

[COLObrewer]

+1 for canning.

 

[D0ug]

bad coffee, how long would you expect a wort preserved in this fashion to be suitable for starters?

NiteOwl, sorry for the inane response, brewin up some haus pale ale and got carried away. 1 to many hahb

 

[NiteOwlBrewing]

Doug - hell naw, that's what I would have done 5 years ago! I just have 30+ gallons in the works and didn't feel like winging an extract batch when I can use this in the future. Plus, I know this was a "kicked" barrel of LME, so I'm not sure of the quality and/or handling of it as far as it affects freshness.

I'll be looking into canning wort, but does that require a pressure canner? I have one from some nonmentionable college ventures, but I tried to open it a few years ago and the seal has become bonded to both the lid and pot portion. Can I can the way people do without pressure cooker temps?

 

[Calder]

Just keep the LME in a clean container in the fridge and use when needed. Don't even worry if a small amount of mold gets on it; cold temperatures will inhibit growth, and you will be boiling it anyway.

Make up some starters to about 1.030. A pound of LME has 36 points; so a pound will do about a gallon. Store in mason jars. You don't need a pressure cooker, just a pot. Place starter wort in mason jars. Place jars in pan with lids not fully seated. Add a couple of inches of water to the pan. Boil with lid on. You need to make sure the mason jars reach at least 160F for 10 minutes; preferably have the wort boiling. Remove from heat, screw down lids and let cool. Store in fridge. Will keep for months. When you use the wort, you will find you have to pop the lid as there is a vacuum inside. If you don't have to pop the lid, then you got contamination and should not use it.

 

[kunstler]

You do need to pressure can it! The boiling method does not work as far as fighting botulism! And there isn't nearly enough acidity in wort to ward off that either.

There was a thread "canning wort" or something like that. Yopper went into detail why it needs to be pressure can Ed and not just boil canned

 

[NiteOwlBrewing]

So I decided I would just boil can and refrigerate. This eve I went to the store to get cans, which are much cheaper than I remembered, but maybe I got them on the post season discount deal this time. Anyway, proceeding to the checkout, they had a closeout deal on a Mirro 22qt Pressure Canner for $40; it was fate. I'm not certain I mentioned my wort once boiled had a gravity of 1.111, pretty stiff stuff. Well, I don't really want 72 jars of starter wort sitting around due to space conflicts, so I'm presently bringing up the jars to 250. Well, all but 3 pint jars; they wouldn't fit. I'm boil canning/refrigerating those to use first. I got a dozen of the pints and half pints. I can get a layer of each in the canner. Of course it doesn't save all the work as I'll have to deal with dilution when I'm ready to use; looks like one part of my serious OG starter to 2 parts (somehow) sterile/sanitized water will work out to 1.35-1.040. On the next round I'll take wort of a much lower gravity. Now I feel better about "saving" the $15 worth of DME by buying $55 in new equipment...of course, another excuse. I do believe making wort for starter ahead of time will save a good deal of time and hassle in the future.

 

[SenorWanderer]

Now I feel better about "saving" the $15 worth of DME by buying $55 in new equipment...of course, another excuse. I do believe making wort for starter ahead of time will save a good deal of time and hassle in the future.

I feel ya there, but you're going to spend the time to make it eventually. It will make life a little easier to have the "concentrate" available on the shelf. I go to the trouble to mash grains to make starter wort. I have a very tall canner that i can fit half gallon mason jars into so that's really convenient.

My LHBS sells the LME barrels also. What have you done, if anything, to convert it to a fermenter? I've been looking for ways to ferment more then 6 gallons at a time and I'm split between these plastic barrels and using sanke kegs. The LME barrels are cheaper but the sanke conversion offers some features that are attractive.

 

[NiteOwlBrewing]

As far as the fermenter goes, I cleaned it out and bought a fitting. That's it. I got a 3/4' NPT to 90 hose barb for 1/2" hose for the blowoff tube. I transferred the washer off the CO2 hole plug to the fitting, screwed it in and attached a hose. The larger hole on mine is harder as the valve they attached was cross-threaded at one time. I use the large hole to fill, then screw on the big cap.

Now, don't ask me how I'll be transferring yet, but I've got 10g of my pumpkin that has nearly stopped bubbling...

My canner is rather tall, but now I've got enough "concentrate" to make about 6g of starter.