HELP: left extract at LHBS! Now...

[Steiner]

So here's the deal:
I'm brewing a partial mash (of BM's SWMBO Slayer Belgian Blonde Ale, to be exact). At this point, I've done my mash, sparge, and am raising my wort to a boil. I just now realized that I left my extract back at the LHBS. It's now closed. I have only about 1/4# of the needed 4 lbs of liquid extract. I haven't thrown in the hops or anything yet. What should I do?

My thought was to get it to a boil to make sure everything's dead in there. Then syran wrap it off until I can make it back to the LHBS. The only kicker is that this won't be until Sunday, because I'm going out of town tomorrow. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Update: Just found 3 Mr Beer canned kits from my stock pile of old brewing supplies. They just so add up to 3.6 lbs- just about what I need. Two cans are hopped mixes, but I always found them weakly hopped anyway. My concern is that I'm brewing a Belgian Blonde- these are so labeled "Creamy Brown," "Canadian Draft," and "Bock" even though all are from malted 2-row (with water and hops added). Thoughts on mixing these in?

 

[RICLARK]

Im not sure what to say, You know if it were me I would boil it cool it pitch the yeast. Then on sunday I would go get the Extract I left bring it home boil it for 15 mins cool it and add to the fermenter.

 

[Moonpile]

Riclark's idea is probably your best bet as the wort you have is safest with yeast in it rather than being an inviting meal for whatever happens along. Alternately, if you have more base grain, you could do another mash now and add that.

However, if you mean Sunday as in the day after tomorrow, you're probably safe just saran wrapping it too. Any longer than that and I wouldn't do that.

 

[Donner]

isn't it a common practice to 'step up' (or whatever the term is) after a few days for big beers. Let it start fermenting, work on the sugars present, then introduce more sugar to bump up the gravity without stressing the yeast?

I think i read that somewhere... anyway, i think you could do that in this case either way.

 

[Saccharomyces]

Yeah I would boil/cool the minimash with the hops and pitch. When you get the extract boil for 15 minutes and add along with any extra topoff water to the fermenter. It'll come out fine.

 

[fivehoursfree]

Ditto, that's what i would do. just remember to save room for the extra wort you'll be adding later. Also I think you might have to adjust the hop amounts, since the extract won't be in the boil.

 

[Steiner]

Thanks for the help everyone. I was too concerned with the risk of potential spoilage that I just winged it. I had wanted to get rid of those old Mr. Beer cans as well, so I put them to use. It turned out to be right around the amount of extract I needed for my recipe. Sure, it might not measure up to class standards, but in the end I should get some respectable beer. All went according to plan and I hit my temps pretty good, so we'll see. This Wit yeast must be on some steroids, because not only was it a vigorous ferment (good thing I anticipated it with a blow-off), but it has yet to stop fermenting well over a week now. Hopefully nothing funky snuck in there. Here's to a haphazard and hodgepodge Belgian!