Postponing pitching the yeast.

[pendulum]

I made a last minute christmas brew today to gift away and I ran into time constraints. The wort was still too warm to pitch the yeast and I had to run off to work. I transferred it into my primary 6.5 gallon carboy and air locked it and I plan to pitch the yeast tonight when I get home. The time would be roughly 7 hours of the wort sitting without the yeast. Will this cause any problems like off flavors or fermentation issues? I wouldn't think it would be I wanna make sure and prepare myself if something does happen.

Thanks!

 

[rideincircles]

Nope. It will be fine as everything is properly sanitized. I regularly pitch it the next day since I don't always get it to pitching temps immediately and I just cool it off in my fermentation chamber.

Always try to pitch your yeast below normal fermentation temperatures which is usually below 70 degrees. Frozen water bottles in a large bucket is usually a good method for controlling temperatures when its hot and cooling it off. Get a sticky thermometer for the carboy that is above any water level it sits in.

 

[maierhof]

It shouldn't be an issue if there is a way to re-oxygenate your wort before you pitch it. You left oxygen in your carboy for the wort (if you meant air locked via stopper), sit down and pull your carboy onto your lap then shake it up, or roll the wort around in it for at least 10-15 min. Then pitch the yeast. Sanitation is the real key here too, and hopefully you did that well enough. If you plan on moving it to another carboy you could do that too, but again sani is the key here too. Either way will work... here is the palmer page on it: http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-9-2.html

I typically wait a day before i add my yeast - this due to my starters being late, running out of time, or just being plain beat after a long day. Now that i have said that i must confess that i put it in a sanke keg (which is what i ferment in btw) in my temp controlled fermentor with a silicon bung in the top while it waits. Before i pitch i push oxygen into it using a home depot oxy bottle and an aeration kit from morebeer...

hope that helped!

 

[flars]

I would not have the carboy in my lap, whether glass or plastic, and start shaking it. Stress fractures letting go could cause some nasty wounds.

Shaking a glass carboy, while it is on a soft surface, is safer and more efficient. Doing this while sitting in a chair makes it an easier job. Plastic carboys have their own prescribed method for aerating the wort, and protecting the carboy.

 

[pendulum]

Awesome, just the replies I was looking for. Everything is sanitized properly. I actually left the yeast packet and scissors in my gallon jug that I use for blowoff full of sanitizer so there shouldn't be any worry there. Was just concerned about the time gap and it seems I have nothing to be concerned about.

Cheers!

 

[maierhof]

I would not have the carboy in my lap, whether glass or plastic, and start shaking it. Stress fractures letting go could cause some nasty wounds.

Shaking a glass carboy, while it is on a soft surface, is safer and more efficient. Doing this while sitting in a chair makes it an easier job. Plastic carboys have their own prescribed method for aerating the wort, and protecting the carboy.

Good point - i totally forgot about that...
I used to swirl mine around on a thick rug that i have in the garage by just tipping it and giving it three big swirls then letting it condense, then repeat, for 10 min

Any which way you do it - just remember to put that oxygen in there.