Canning starter wort

[D-Ring]

There have been so many good posts with step by step instructions (yeast washing, IC build, etc) that I don't know what I would have done without them. Therefore, I ask for one more! How do you can starter wort? I know the basics of canning, but I am curious as how to doing it with starter wort. Do you need to preboil, etc?? Thanks in advance.

 

[Got Trub?]

I would preboil for 10-15 minutes then can as usual. Alternatively you can home autoclave your starter wort using a pressure cooker for 20 minutes - that is what I do.

GT

 

[lamarguy]

I recently canned a case of 1.040 wort and it came out quite dark and had a lot of hot break material in the jars after the canning process.

I'm planning to skip the boil next time and go straight from mash to canning. I'm hoping this will help avoid the overly dark wort. Probably not, but it's worth a shot.

 

[Figbash]

Unless you plan on refrigerating the canned wort, it MUST be processed in a pressure cooker for at least 15 minutes (@15 psi.). Canned wort is very low acid and a perfect breeding ground for botulism spores. This is one area of homebrewing where a mistake can kill you.

Tom

 

[Thirsty_Monk]

I do freeze my extra wort.

I boil it when I am ready to make the starter.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

I do freeze my extra wort.

I boil it when I am ready to make the starter.

Yup. That's all you need to do. If canning makes you feel better, then do it. But it's too much like work for me.

 

[WortMonger]

Canning is the only way you can store wort without filling a freezer, SAFELY! Freezing will work just fine like has been mentioned, but I like ice cream too much to not take the time to can my wort.

 

[Shay]

What I do is brew a four gallon batch of wort at 1.040. I boiled it for 45 minutes. Then filled up a mix of quart and pint mason jars. Next I put them in the pressure cooker and "cook" them for 20 minutes at 20 psi. The wort does darken, but I have a stir plate so I decant as much as can off before I pitch. I was lucky and got a huge (41 quart) all-american pressure cooker off of craigslist. The size allows me to put all four gallons in it in batch. When you the jars are in the pressure cooker, the wort smell is very strong. It takes a long time for the cooker to cool off enough to open the pressure cooker.

 

[WortMonger]

You can speed things up a little cooling by placing a wet towel on the lid.

 

[jchadscud]

Just to be clear, wort stored in a refrigerator for a short time (1-2 weeks) is ok right? I normally do this for bottle cultivating yeast and feed them measured amounts at a time.

I've put way too much time and money into brewing to die this soon in the process!

 

[D-Ring]

I would preboil for 10-15 minutes then can as usual. Alternatively you can home autoclave your starter wort using a pressure cooker for 20 minutes - that is what I do.

GT

So, to make sure I understand, you just mix your starter (DME and water) together ( no boiling), put it in your jars, put your jars in your pressure cooker (on the shelf with some water), and cook for 20 min? I hate to be so basic, but MONGO need basic directions.

1. Mongo see beer.
2. Mongo open beer.
3. Mongo drink beer.
4. Mongo like.

 

[flyangler18]

So, to make sure I understand, you just mix your starter wort together ( no boiling), put it in your jars, put your jars in your pressure cooker (on the shelf with some water), and cook for 20 min?

Yep, that's exactly what I do. There's no need to boil twice, ya know?

I'd at least get the water hot enough so the DME mixes in well, probably around 150-160°. Portion this into your canning jars, put on the lid (without the ring band) and into the pressure cooker it goes. The wort will boil inside the jars. There will be lots of break material, so just decant slowly when you're ready to pop the top on that jar and use the wort.

The wort will not only be sanitized, it will be sterile.

 

[WortMonger]

Sterile is mandatory for non-frozen wort IMHO. I have wort over a year old and it looks great. Opened a jar 2 months ago and it was perfect.

 

[flyangler18]

Sterile is mandatory for non-frozen wort IMHO.

Especially if you are using that wort to make up slants or plates like I am; that wort has to be sterile because you are working with such a minute amount of yeast cells.

 

[Got Trub?]

Yep, that's exactly what I do. There's no need to boil twice, ya know?

I'd at least get the water hot enough so the DME mixes in well, probably around 150-160°. Portion this into your canning jars, put on the lid (without the ring band) and into the pressure cooker it goes. The wort will boil inside the jars. There will be lots of break material, so just decant slowly when you're ready to pop the top on that jar and use the wort.

The wort will not only be sanitized, it will be sterile.

I just use cold tap water. I don't even mix the DME in. It all goes into solution during the pressure cooking.

GT

 

[notwoohoo]

Yep, I make dedicated batches and pressure can as well. The break material in the cans doesn't bother me, I simply decant off when pouring into my flask for starters or making agar media for plates and slants.

 

[WortMonger]

What are you guys making agar out of, or I guess how do you make it?

 

[Joe Camel]

You can buy packages of agar at chinese food stores, or you can use gelatin in a pinch.

Put 2 or 3 grams of agar in a pint mason jar with 100 ml of your made up starter wort, microwave gently to dissolve the agar. (you'll see little beads of agar in the wort if it hasn't completely dissolved) Let the agar solution cool a bit, then pour it into your slant tubes, about a 1/4 full. loosely cap the tubes and put in autoclave at 15psi for 15 minutes. Take them out and let cool while leaning against something so that the agar solidifies on a slant. Tighten caps and done.

Cheers

 

[Spine]

Unless you plan on refrigerating the canned wort, it MUST be processed in a pressure cooker for at least 15 minutes (@15 psi.). Canned wort is very low acid and a perfect breeding ground for botulism spores. This is one area of homebrewing where a mistake can kill you.

Tom

But of course this is not a problem if you plan to boil you wort again before you make a starter. You only need to worry about botulism if you are planning to can wort and then use it directly from the jar/can to make a starter. I always freeze my wort and then boil a little bit/cool every time I make a starter.

 

[rico567]

Although it's been alluded to earlier in this thread, anyone not familiar with pressure canning (and who maybe has a garage sale canner / pressure cooker) should get the manufacturer's or other MANUAL and READ IT before attempting pressure canning. This is akin to using a propane burner in that there are specific things you need to know, and safety precautions you need to follow.

Here is a link to many free publications, also to purchasing the Ball Blue Book of Canning, my personal favorite: Free Publications to Download Here about Home Canning, Freezing, Preserving and Makign Jams and Jellies!

 

[flyangler18]

But of course this is not a problem if you plan to boil you wort again before you make a starter. You only need to worry about botulism if you are planning to can wort and then use it directly from the jar/can to make a starter. I always freeze my wort and then boil a little bit/cool every time I make a starter.

That's not true. The bacterium responsible for botulism produces spores that withstand boiling at atmospheric pressure.

 

[Shay]

Although it's been alluded to earlier in this thread, anyone not familiar with pressure canning (and who maybe has a garage sale canner / pressure cooker) should get the manufacturer's or other MANUAL and READ IT before attempting pressure canning. This is akin to using a propane burner in that there are specific things you need to know, and safety precautions you need to follow.

Here is a link to many free publications, also to purchasing the Ball Blue Book of Canning, my personal favorite: Free Publications to Download Here about Home Canning, Freezing, Preserving and Makign Jams and Jellies!

+1. Pressure cookers can be dangerous.

 

[conpewter]

Unless you plan on refrigerating the canned wort, it MUST be processed in a pressure cooker for at least 15 minutes (@15 psi.). Canned wort is very low acid and a perfect breeding ground for botulism spores. This is one area of homebrewing where a mistake can kill you.

Tom

From what I've read you don't need to pressure can the wort if you plan to boil it again before using it in a starter. Boiling destroys the botulism toxin.

I just freeze my extra wort and then boil it when I'm ready to make a starter.

Edit:

That's not true. The bacterium responsible for botulism produces spores that withstand boiling at atmospheric pressure.

True, but botulism bacteria and spores are harmless to adults. Plus they don't grow/produce toxin in the presence of oxygen (and I sure hope you have oxygen in your starter when you pitch the yeast). Oh and alcohol kills the bacteria so once the yeast have started doing their thing the bacteria will be dead. (Also PH is low enough in beer to kill botulism spores)

Edit Edit: a thread with more details.

 

[flyangler18]

True, but botulism bacteria and spores are harmless to adults. Plus they don't grow/produce toxin in the presence of oxygen (and I sure hope you have oxygen in your starter when you pitch the yeast).

Since I am also using that wort to make slants and plates, the media has to be sterile given the small amount of yeast cells on a slant or plate.

It's also a lot easier for me to line pressure-canned jars of wort on the shelves in my basement than find room for frozen wort.

 

[goatchze]

I used canned wort for all my starters. I don't keep DME on hand, so I make a small batch of wort for canning every so often (usually 3 gallons). I can in quart jars.

My wife and I have a lot of experience canning, have done jelly, juice, fruits, vegetables, meats...you name it.

The general rule of thumb is that if something contains sugar and is low acid it requires higher temperatures, and thus the pressure cooker. If something is high sugar and high acid (low pH), such as a juice, then boiling is typically fine.

THAT being said, I use the pressure cooker at 10 psi for 15 minutes. Overkill? Probably, but why not be safe? I've already got the equipment and, if you're intelligent enough to brew beer, you're intelligent enough to safely operate a pressure cooker.

I do see some break material in the bottoms of the jars, but it's of no concern to me. The day before brewing I will open a jar and decant it into a larger vessel (1/2 gal pitcher). I'll then pull a vial of yeast from my yeast bank and voila! I'm ready to go.

I do recommend using canned wort; it works great and is super easy to get that starter going! Just pop open a jar and you're ready to go!

 

[conpewter]

Since I am also using that wort to make slants and plates, the media has to be sterile given the small amount of yeast cells on a slant or plate.

It's also a lot easier for me to line pressure-canned jars of wort on the shelves in my basement than find room for frozen wort.

Great point, you do need sterile wort for that. I imagine if I did more batches I'd want to can wort, for now though as long as I have a gallon in the freezer it works for me. I think everyone has different needs on it.

 

[flyangler18]

Great point, you do need sterile wort for that. I imagine if I did more batches I'd want to can wort, for now though as long as I have a gallon in the freezer it works for me. I think everyone has different needs on it.

I've brewed two batches this week, with a third on Friday. I go through my starter wort.

And truth be told, freezing wort is perfectly acceptable for slants and plates provided you are pressure-cooking the vials after mixing up the media (as you should be!).

 

[Figbash]

From what I've read you don't need to pressure can the wort if you plan to boil it again before using it in a starter. Boiling destroys the botulism toxin.

I just freeze my extra wort and then boil it when I'm ready to make a starter.

Edit:


True, but botulism bacteria and spores are harmless to adults. Plus they don't grow/produce toxin in the presence of oxygen (and I sure hope you have oxygen in your starter when you pitch the yeast). Oh and alcohol kills the bacteria so once the yeast have started doing their thing the bacteria will be dead. (Also PH is low enough in beer to kill botulism spores)

Edit Edit: a thread with more details.

Botulism spores can survive at temperatures up to 240 degrees fahrenheit. That requires a pressure cooker. There has been a ton of research done on canning, but little if any on canning wort. To assume that the oxygenation of the wort or the small amount of alcohol produced by the yeast will kill any spores that may be present is a stretch.

This is a good time to remember that an internet forum is not always the best place to get valid information. In this case, the wrong information can kill you or others. I'll continue to follow proven canning procedures that are known to be safe.

Tom

 

[conpewter]

Botulism spores can survive at temperatures up to 240 degrees fahrenheit. That requires a pressure cooker. There has been a ton of research done on canning, but little if any on canning wort. To assume that the oxygenation of the wort or the small amount of alcohol produced by the yeast will kill any spores that may be present is a stretch.

This is a good time to remember that an internet forum is not always the best place to get valid information. In this case, the wrong information can kill you or others. I'll continue to follow proven canning procedures that are known to be safe.

Tom

Ok so we've determined that all spores will not be killed during a 60 minute boil. That means that every batch you have made has probably had botulism spores in it (they are pretty common actually, a lot in soil, plenty on barley). Does this mean you shouldn't drink beer? No it means that the conditions are not right for them to survive and produce toxins in beer.

As for wort? I would not can it and sit it on a shelf for a month without using a pressure cooker. I will continue to freeze it as botulism can't reproduce or create toxin at fridge or below temps.

Also there are around 100 cases of botulism in the US every year... that's pretty rare. 85% of those are cases with babies since their digestive tract is not acidic enough to kill the botulism spores, adults are just fine with ingesting the spores (and it happens all the time).

 

[HarvInSTL]

Unless you plan on refrigerating the canned wort, it MUST be processed in a pressure cooker for at least 15 minutes (@15 psi.). Canned wort is very low acid and a perfect breeding ground for botulism spores. This is one area of homebrewing where a mistake can kill you.

Tom

I have been doing mine for 30-40 minutes @ 10psi. Am I doing it wrong?