Wort Lag Time Concern

[WhiteMike81]

I’ve been brewing for 15+ years and this is the first time I’ve not really been able to find an answer to a wacky situation. I’ve seen close situations, but not any that have resolution at the end.

I brewed 10g of Helles wort and had huge kviek lutra starter ready, chilled it down to about 110 or so and brought it into the house for a psuedo Helles when I hear a crash. My daughter had accidentally bumped the table holding the flask of yeast slurry and it was awash for an otherwise lovely brew day.

I’m not close to a LHBS, so I quick 2 day ordered some more Lutra, but amazingly, it won’t be here until Tuesday. That said, brew day was Thursday, and I CAN/COULD pitch Tuesday when it arrives. It’s in a 14g Chapman Stainless Bucket, and to this point there has been no activity in the airlock.

My initial thinking is nearly 5 days is a no go, as I’ve not done what a no-chill brewer would do by any stretch. My sanitation game is strong (have only had one issue in all these years and it was when I was teaching my brother to brew).

I half way want to dump the wort and not waste all the Lutra that’s coming, but the other half wants to see what would happen having waited that long. I’ve never used Kviek in my life, so thought maybe some would know who do have experience with it. I know the potential for nasties already being present is highly possible.

Thoughts?

 

[IslandLizard]

Damn!
No other yeast in stock?
No semi-local homebrew store?
A homebrew club, brew friend, or brewery perhaps?

 

[WhiteMike81]

Sadly no…I touched base with some
other folks I’ve brewed with but nobody had any yeast on hand.

 

[IslandLizard]

nobody had any yeast on hand

Not even a couple pouches of dry...

I've kept leftover, boiled wort for as long as 5 days at room temps (untouched) before using. The wort had started to taste a little funky, and had become slightly carbonated. I re-boiled it for all security.

I've also kept leftover starter wort in a well lidded stainless kitchen pot around for 2 weeks (at room temps), but re-boiled every 2-3 days. And kept leftover wort in a fridge for over a week.
As we know, cold storage surely slows down unintended fermentation or spoilage. The colder, the better.

Is your wort stored cold in a ferm chamber? How cold? That definitely would extend her freshness to several days, perhaps a week.

If stored a room temps, you're 3 days in already, I would definitely re-boil it. Then store it cold until pitching the yeast after rewarming it.

 

[Saunassa]

What I would do is sample the wort right before pitching the Lutra. See if it has started to sour and then make your decision to ferment or not.

 

[IslandLizard]

See if it has started to sour and then make your decision to ferment or not.

I think he'd be better off trying to prevent it from souring/spoiling. After 3 days at room temps it can become dicey. At 30-32F up to a week?

 

[WhiteMike81]

What I would do is sample the wort right before pitching the Lutra. See if it has started to sour and then make your decision to ferment or not.

I think he'd be better off trying to prevent it from souring/spoiling. After 3 days at room temps it can become dicey. At 30-32F up to a week?

Both options I’ve had on my mind. Hell, might do both. I guess given it’s Sunday, my mind goes to wondering if it hasn’t spoiled in the 68 degree house when I likely should have gone straight to the fridge when the starter hit the floor. Hindsight, right??

 

[WhiteMike81]

Not even a couple pouches of dry...

I've kept leftover, boiled wort for as long as 5 days at room temps (untouched) before using. The wort had started to taste a little funky, and had become slightly carbonated. I re-boiled it for all security.

I've also kept leftover starter wort in a well lidded stainless kitchen pot around for 2 weeks (at room temps), but re-boiled every 2-3 days. And kept leftover wort in a fridge for over a week.
As we know, cold storage surely slows down unintended fermentation or spoilage. The colder, the better.

Is your wort stored cold in a ferm chamber? How cold? That definitely would extend her freshness to several days, perhaps a week.

If stored a room temps, you're 3 days in already, I would definitely re-boil it. Then store it cold until pitching the yeast after rewarming it.

Don’t know how I missed this one. I’ve for sure never reboiled wort. Would that bring me back to Point A to some degree if I chill and pop into my ferm chamber?

 

[Saunassa]

@IslandLizard I agree do what he can to prevent it but just before he opens the packs draw a sample.
Our club did a brew day where we all brought home wort for a cream ale from the local brew pub. The couple who were not able to boil theirs up for 2 days had it start souring in the buckets and made sours out of it instead.

 

[IslandLizard]

Don’t know how I missed this one. I’ve for sure never reboiled wort. Would that bring me back to Point A to some degree if I chill and pop into my ferm chamber?

Reboiling (10-20 minutes) re-pasteurizes the wort, so you reset the clock by a few days, again.

Technically you could heat it to only 160-170F and keep it there for 20-30' to re-pasteurize, but I think a full boil is more secure in case something hardier got in there.

You may gain some extra bitterness and some loss of hop aroma/flavor due to the re-boil. But a little extra hops in the (2nd) whirlpool and/or a small dry hop could restore that.

And definitely taste the wort before going through that whole rigmarole.

 

[hotbeer]

At the worst, re-boiling the wort after a few days is the same thing you do for wort you inoculate with lactobacillus just after chilling and leaving it for a few days prior to boiling again, chilling and pitching yeast. Which I think is what we call kettle soured beers.

So at worst if it does get infected prior to pitch, you'll at least be killing the bad stuff and maybe your beer won't be bad at all. And maybe it'll be a happy accident you'll have a hard time replicating.

 

[WhiteMike81]

@IslandLizard @Sanuassa @hotbeer Thanks for the direction in options yall. I appreciate it. I will swing through and update when I get somewhere with it!