canning wort starters

[Andyoesq]

I'm thinking of starting to can my own wort to make starters easier to make (thanks Homercidal for the idea on another thread). I started watching videos online on youtube, looks pretty easy. one video I saw looked fascinating - add DME to water in the jars, cook it in the pressure cooker at 15 psi for 20 minutes, and the wort is cooked while canning - gets rid of extra steps and smell etc.
anyone try this, or see a reason why this wouldn't work?

 

[LLBeanJ]

I've done it that way when I used to use DME. Yes, it works fine, no issues. It's not a bad idea to add a little bit of yeast nutrient to all the jars, as well.

 

[kombat]

if only someone would write an article on it..

 

[Andyoesq]

if only someone would write an article on it..

Great article do you think you could save s step by not boiling the wort beforehand, and instead cooking wort while it cans

 

[thekraken]

Easy there. I'd bet that kombat just might have read that article, just maybe...

I've done it the way you described, works fine. Doesn't get rid of the smell though.

 

[LLBeanJ]

To add to my earlier post, my specific process was:

1) Tare out a Mason jar on scale
2) Add DME & yeast nutrient to jar
3) Fill jar with water and attach lid (not too tight)
4) Give jar a quick shake to mix DME/water and place in pressure canner
5) Once canner is loaded with jars, bring up to pressure and hold for 20 minutes
6) Cut heat and allow to cool

 

[Andyoesq]

Easy there. I'd bet that kombat just might have read that article, just maybe...

I've done it the way you described, works fine. Doesn't get rid of the smell though.

True, my bad, reading my post again, didn't mean to come across snarky, just a different question than the answer given, but after 4 ipas I could see how my response could be bad. I apologize.

 

[bigken462]

To add to my earlier post, my specific process was:

1) Tare out a Mason jar on scale
2) Add DME & yeast nutrient to jar
3) Fill jar with water and attach lid (not too tight)
4) Give jar a quick shake to mix DME/water and place in pressure canner
5) Once canner is loaded with jars, bring up to pressure and hold for 20 minutes
6) Cut heat and allow to cool

I am planning on canning up 7 quarts this week. Do you recall your measurements/quart?

 

[mikescooling]

When I did this, I would use the 3rd runnings from the MLT. Then pressure can it.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I am planning on canning up 7 quarts this week. Do you recall your measurements/quart?

For quart jars I used 80g DME to 800ml water. Pint jars are exactly 1/2 if that. When I plan starters, they are always divisible by .4l (usually .8 or 1.2l, up to 2.4 for most lagers). I make the starter a little larger than I need and save off the excess for a future starter.

 

[bigken462]

For quart jars I used 80g DME to 800ml water. Pint jars are exactly 1/2 if that. When I plan starters, they are always divisible by .4l (usually .8 or 1.2l, up to 2.4 for most lagers). I make the starter a little larger than I need and save off the excess for a future starter.

1:10 lol, that simple. I dunno why I didn't think of that. I guess I got tangled up on using 1000ml for when using my flask.

Do you find this works just as well as when mixing before canning? The last time I canned, somehow I over diluted and had to boil my wort down till I hit 1.038. Added to that, the 20 minutes in the canner you can imagine how dark it was. In the end, it doesn't really matter since I decant it off, but the dark wort does make it difficult to see how much activity is going on.

I'm thinking by adding the DME dry, it must look exactly like it would if you did it fresh before making the starter.

 

[LLBeanJ]

Do you find this works just as well as when mixing before canning?

Although I've never pre-mixed it, I would have to say yes. It's the only way I've ever done it when using extract and I've never had an issue with the starters I've made from the canned wort. Nowadays, I do an all-grain mash and a short boil, then pressure can the wort, and I can see no difference between the all-grain and DME canned starter wort, other than maybe some slight differences in color. I've been using Pilsner malt for my all-grain wort, so it's a bit lighter than anything I've gotten from pale DME.

 

[Andyoesq]

dumb questions on this - i am assuming I don't need to sanitize the jars / lids before using them to pressure can? I feel like i should, but the purpose of the pressure canning is to sanitize, so i guess not?

 

[LLBeanJ]

No need to sanitize prior to the canning cycle. Just make sure the jars and lids are clean.

 

[Andyoesq]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1448138622.108512.jpgcanned my first wort for future starters today (well, canned my first anything, really). Surprisingly easy and quick. Thanks all for the help

 

[kombat]

Great article do you think you could save s step by not boiling the wort beforehand, and instead cooking wort while it cans

Indeed, you do not need to boil the wort prior to canning. However, that's not really "saving a step," as the article already explicitly states that you do notneed to boil the wort:

"Note that this mixture doesn't have to boil (indeed, if you let it boil, you could have a mess on your hands). The goal here is simply to get everything evenly mixed."

Glad it worked out for you, make sure you take those rings off the jars when storing them.

 

[Andyoesq]

yeah, I let it sit for a day to cool down, then removed the bands. Just have to make sure I don't lose the bands now lol.
I ended up measuring out 85 grams of DME, and put it in each jar, and then added 850 ML of water to each, and threw them in the canner. I guess it saved a step since I didn't have to clean the pot used to mix it all up in, and ensured that each jar had the same amount of DME in it. but both ways seem to work.

 

[z-bob]

I'm thinking of starting to can my own wort to make starters easier to make (thanks Homercidal for the idea on another thread). I started watching videos online on youtube, looks pretty easy. one video I saw looked fascinating - add DME to water in the jars, cook it in the pressure cooker at 15 psi for 20 minutes, and the wort is cooked while canning - gets rid of extra steps and smell etc.
anyone try this, or see a reason why this wouldn't work?

That's how I made mine except I used some old LME I had in the freezer, and I processed it longer at 10 psi. And I didn't shake them up until after they were out and cooled a bit (still hot, but the jars had "pinged")

Wife still thought it smelled up the house; I don't know how since the jars were sealed.

 

[Andyoesq]

yeah, there was a little smell, much less that brewing. and without the hops, just a very faint baking bread smell.