Do you have to boil the wort after steeping and removing the specialty grains?

[Newbie123]

Sorry I’m really new to brewing and just want to put this question out there as I don’t have the knowledge to answer it myself and an internet search hasn’t helped.

My friend decided he would try to brew a batch of beer. He used a tin of extract (sorry I forget which one) dry malt extract and some specialty malts. He soaked his malts in a pot of 168-170F water for 30 minutes. Then removed the grain bag and set the pot in an ice bath to cool before adding the wort, extract, LDM and water to his fermenter. This is the part where I’m a bit concerned. I was told you had to remove the bag and then bring the wort to a boil for a period of time to pasteurise it and then cool to fermentation temp. Am I wrong? Will his brew be ok?

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

He soaked his malts in a pot of 68-70 degree water for 30 minutes.

68 Celsius?

 

[Newbie123]

68 Celsius?

Sorry I wrote it down wrong 168-170F

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

With 'all-grain' brewing, there is the idea of 'no boil' (example) and/or 'raw ale' (example).

In the brief description you provided, it appears that this part of the process ...

Then removed the grain bag and set the pot in an ice bath to cool before adding the wort, extract, LDM and water to his fermenter.

... missed pasteurizing the malt extract.

 

[Yooper]

Yes, you’re going. to want to boil any wort that had grains in it- grains have lactobacillus and other microbes on it. No need to boil the extract, but it won’t hurt to pasteurize the extract in hot wort.

 

[Newbie123]

Yes, you’re going. to want to boil any wort that had grains in it- grains have lactobacillus and other microbes on it. No need to boil the extract, but it won’t hurt to pasteurize the extract in hot wort.

So is what you’re saying is he potentially has an infected brew? It’s been fermenting for about 10 days. Should he dump it?

 

[NeoBrew]

So is what you’re saying is he potentially has an infected brew? It’s been fermenting for about 10 days. Should he dump it?

It has a good chance of being infected, but if you've come this far it's worth testing it to see if it's got an infection. Don't be surprised if it is bad though.

 

[Newbie123]

It has a good chance of being infected, but if you've come this far it's worth testing it to see if it's got an infection. Don't be surprised if it is bad though.

How do you go about testing it? Is it a case of take a mouthful and see if it tastes bad?

 

[NeoBrew]

How do you go about testing it? Is it a case of take a mouthful and see if it tastes bad?

Yes.

Also note that even if it tastes ok now, it might still be infected. The yeast may have taken the lead in the first 10 days, but if there is lacto or other things are still alive and in there they may start up a second fermentation.

A taste will tell you a lot. If it is ok, you can drink it. I would drink it sooner rather than later. It may turn into a sour beer, which some people like. Or it might turn into something funky and undrinkable.

One other note, if you are going to bottle, make absolutely certain the beer is fully fermented before you bottle. Use a hydrometer and make sure you get the same reading at least twice two days apart. If you bottle before all the sugars are eaten you might get bottle bombs. (You might consider storing the fermenting bottles in a plastic bin in case they explode.

Of course, you could just dump the batch and try again.

 

[Steveruch]

So is what you’re saying is he potentially has an infected brew? It’s been fermenting for about 10 days. Should he dump it?

No.

 

[Steveruch]

Sorry I’m really new to brewing and just want to put this question out there as I don’t have the knowledge to answer it myself and an internet search hasn’t helped.

My friend decided he would try to brew a batch of beer. He used a tin of extract (sorry I forget which one) dry malt extract and some specialty malts. He soaked his malts in a pot of 168-170F water for 30 minutes. Then removed the grain bag and set the pot in an ice bath to cool before adding the wort, extract, LDM and water to his fermenter. This is the part where I’m a bit concerned. I was told you had to remove the bag and then bring the wort to a boil for a period of time to pasteurise it and then cool to fermentation temp. Am I wrong? Will his brew be ok?

30 minutes at 168f should be enough to pasteurize it.

 

[Steveruch]

I've brewed no-boil beers with steeped only specialty grains that turned out fine.

 

[Newbie123]

I've brewed no-boil beers with steeped only specialty grains that turned out fine.

I’ve pass on all the information and see what he decides. Personally at this stage I would be inclined to wait and see. From the little bit of research I’ve done on raw ale brewing it sounds very similar.

 

[McKnuckle]

I guess, though, that this beer has no hops. Oops.

 

[Newbie123]

I guess, though, that this beer has no hops. Oops.

No extra hops added apart from what was in the extract tin.

 

[IslandLizard]

He used a tin of extract

No extra hops added apart from what was in the extract tin.

Right, most likely a tin of pre-hopped extract.
And that should NOT be boiled.

 

[IslandLizard]

He soaked his malts in a pot of 168-170F water for 30 minutes.

If it was indeed kept at that temp for 30 minutes, that's well within wort pasteurization temp range.
Both Temp and Time are factors for pasteurization.

I often steep, then sparge dark roasted malts in 150-160F water for 30' then add to the main batch when chilled to 150F. Makes delicious Porters! Never had any infections or problems doing that.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

From the little bit of research I’ve done on raw ale brewing it sounds very similar.

'raw ale' / 'no boil' follows safe cooking practices to make sure that all ingredients that need to be pasteurized are pasteurized.

So far, 'tin' and 'LDM' are not described precisely enough to know whether (or not) these ingredients needed to be pasteurized.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I often steep, then sparge dark roasted malts in 150-160F water for 30' then add to the main batch when chilled to 150F.

One could also poka yoke (prevent errors, like incorrect thermometers) by boiling the steeped malt wort (either separately or in the main kettle).

edit: clarified that it's the wort from the steeped malt that's boiled

 

[Newbie123]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I’ll pass on all the comments and fingers crossed this brew will be ok.

 

[chazzman]

You could use a sulfite such as camden or kmeta (sodium or potassium metabisulfite) to protect your brew from bacteria. With tablets use 1 tablet for each gallon batch size. With powder half a teaspoon for every five gallons.