After every brew session, I have about a gallon or so of extra wort that is perfect starter wort. Around 1.030 and free. I really want to use this wort for making starters but don't want to use it right away... thats a huge pain to be monitoring 2 boils. So, on my last brew, I filled 5 one quart mason jars of my extra wort, and boiled them in a water bath for 30 minutes to seal the jars. As soon as they were cool enough to the touch, I put them in the fridge to prevent botulism. When I need to make my next starter, I will pull the wort out of the fridge with my yeast, and pitch when it is at the right temp. What do you guys think? Will this method prevent botulism and infection? I am mostly worried about the former.
Canned Wort Without A Pressure Cooker
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Owly055
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botulism isn't normally a problem for anything refrigerated........... anything else the hot water bath is going to kill.
H.W.
flars
Well-Known Member
A hot water bath and refrigeration may give you a one to two week window to use the wort in a starter. Botulism spores are not killed in a hot water bath. Pressure canning is the only way to kill botulism spores.
High acid foods, like pickles, can be preserved with a hot water bath, but any low acid foods must be preserved by using a pressure canner.
High acid foods, like pickles, can be preserved with a hot water bath, but any low acid foods must be preserved by using a pressure canner.
I would look at it is a small, unlikely, but still present risk.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09305.html
From what I can garner, if there were botulism growth, it'd be a subset of bacteria, and likely grow slower. So refrigeration would lessen the risk, but not eliminate it. Now, the risk is small to begin with, as people have been canning wort via water bath for a long time without (to my knowledge) a report case of botulism poisoning from brewing. However, it's rare to begin with, and I wouldn't want to be the first case.
Point being, you'll probably be ok, but the risk is not nonexistent.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09305.html
From what I can garner, if there were botulism growth, it'd be a subset of bacteria, and likely grow slower. So refrigeration would lessen the risk, but not eliminate it. Now, the risk is small to begin with, as people have been canning wort via water bath for a long time without (to my knowledge) a report case of botulism poisoning from brewing. However, it's rare to begin with, and I wouldn't want to be the first case.
Point being, you'll probably be ok, but the risk is not nonexistent.
One thing you can do - to be 100% safe - is boil the starter wort before using it. Then cool it and use it.
The heat will destroy the Botulism toxin, which is the killer, not the bacteria itself, if any are present.
flars
Well-Known Member
Boiling the wort will be safer, but not altogether safe. Here is a link for information on canning and hot water baths.
http://nchfp.uga.edu/
eddiewould
Well-Known Member
Just stick it in a plastic milk bottle and freeze it. 10min on medium power to defrost then boil and make your starter as usual.
Boiling does destroy the toxin, which is the killer, not the bacteria.
Also - if spores have germinated into bacteria, the botulism bacteria will be killed by boiling.
Any surviving spores aren't going to have time to do anything since they are being added to oxygenated wort (the starter) that will soon be added to wort and yeast that will produce alcohol and further lower the pH.
I'm not aware of any case of botulism from normal home brewing where you make a starter and pitch it into wort. There are botulism spores in the air and it's quite likely that some have landed in some kettles.
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