Is there a danger of infection leaving wort unfermented for a couple of days

[jetmac]

Trying to cool my Bo Pils to proper pitching temp but I have a busy schedule and won't be able to pitch until this afternoon about 4pm. That's almost 48 hours. It's been covered in the fridge the whole time. I'm going to pitch either way, I was just wondering what y'all's opinion is. Should I expect an infected beer? Is it one of those occasions where it just depends?

 

[Snowhere]

Yes there is always the risk, but I have done it before. But I had the beer to be, in my carboy, with an airlock on it. What happened with me was I brewed and my yeast starter was not ready. So I chilled fast and just waited for my yeast for a couple of days. My beer turned out fine, your result may be same, or maybe different.

 

[bmbigda]

do a search on "no chill brewing". you'll find this is becoming more and more common. It's especially popular in Australia

 

[Homercidal]

I think that 48 hours is not too long if you sanitized properly and kept it away from the obvious infection areas. A fridge will go a long ways to helping.

Most no-chill brewers use an airtight container, or a bacteria level filter IIRC.

 

[Revvy]

I think that 48 hours is not too long if you sanitized properly and kept it away from the obvious infection areas. A fridge will go a long ways to helping.

Most no-chill brewers use an airtight container, or a bacteria level filter IIRC.

Yeah, but they start with boiling wort going into a container that can take the heat. You can't really use a carboy or bb, and I'm not even sure a bucket would work.

The way folks do it is dump their near boiling wort into a container and seal it and let it come down to pitching temp.

You can read about it here.

Aquatainers from walmart seem to be popular as vessel to do this in.

Part of the idea is that you rack it while it is still hot enough to be sterile into a container then seal it immediately and let a vacuum form in the container as it cools. This keeps it bug free until yeast pitch time.

It's partly about the vacuum sealing that happens as it cools and partly about it going into the vessel above the temps where lacto can form.

 

[SwampassJ]

I'm sure there is an increased likely hood and I wouldn't wait that long if I didn't have to. If it still looks ok pitch away. All the moneys been spent, only thing left is time.

 

[Homercidal]

Aquatainer??? Hell, I have one or two of those in my camper! I can start no chill tonight! I just have to oxiclean the waste material out of it first.


At any rate, I think 48 hours is fine. First, you are starting with a boiled wort, second it's relatively low pH, thirdly, you say you are going into the fridge. I think it will be fine if you pitch enough yeast and get it going pretty quickly.

Note that this is not what I would recommend as a standard mode of operation. Kind of like sticking your unsanitized hand in your chilled wort. It will probably be ok.

 

[Monstar]

Been there, done that. Lost a yeast packet in the snow one time, brew shop was closed for 2 days! Best stout I ever made.

 

[jetmac]

Thanks for the reply's. I pitched about 1:30p today. 44 hours after it went in carboy. Will see how it turns out.