Premade Starters

[mmurray]

I didn't know where else to put this...

I got a wild hair on the last brew and figured I'd mess around with canning.

After I had my 12 gallons in my brew kettle, I decided to pull off the remaining liquids and hold them for other use. I got around 3.5 gallons. I put it in a carboy and put it in my fridge for later. A few days later I boiled the wort down to a gravity of 1.044. I took 900ml mason jars and followed all the directions for sterilizing them. I boiled them for 20 minutes then dumped them and filled them with boiling 1.044 wort. I put santized lids on them with the screw tops on just enough to hold the lid and put them back into the boiling water. I boiled them for 30 minutes and you could see all the air being boiled out and creating a vacuum. I then removed them from the boiling water and placed them onto a dry towel. After a few minutes you could hear them poping as the vacuum was sealing them.

So now I have ten 900ml starters @ 1.044 gravity sealed and in my closet. They sit at room temperature and the theory is that when I want to make a starter I just need to pop the top, pour it into a sanitary container and pitch my yeast thus saving me time later for time well spent now!

A few questions:
1. Has anyone else done this before?
2. Should I reboil the wort to 100% verify sanitization or is that just overboard?
3. How long at room temp would you think the sanitized vacuum sealed wort will keep in my closet? Weeks? Months? Years?


Look forward to input, suggestions or questions!

Mark

 

[Yooper]

If you didn't pressure can them, and just did a boiling water bath, I'd suggest throwing them away. Sorry to say this, but a low acid food can NOT be successfully preserved in a boiling water bath.

A pressure canner is the only safe method to do it. Please read the guidelines on safe food preservation, as botulism is deadly serious.

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_home.html

 

[Euphist]

I've never canned wort before, but I do can a lot of food, and have to side with Yooper on this one. The acid level is critical in boiling water canning. Since there is no way to bring the acid level up without ruining the wort, boiling bath is not an option.

 

[Transamguy77]

I'm glad I saw this I was thinking the same about canning wort, and since I dont know much about canning I would have done the same thing. I have read about guys freezing wort in ice cube trays for starters later, would that be a better route? And put the cubes I mason jars in the freezer rather than a bag?

 

[Yooper]

I'm glad I saw this I was thinking the same about canning wort, and since I dont know much about canning I would have done the same thing. I have read about guys freezing wort in ice cube trays for starters later, would that be a better route? And put the cubes I mason jars in the freezer rather than a bag?

Yes, but I'd bring the ice cubes to a boil before using!

The nice thing about a canned starter is that it's ready to go. Just open the can, and it's ready.

I've frozen wort in the past, but then you still have to bring it up to a boil. So no real time or energy savings there. But it is a convenient way to use up extra wort and avoid having to buy DME for starters.

 

[browillard]

So if I'm understanding it correctly, then the wort will also spoil if simply bottled like beer and left to rest at room temp. Even if bottle hot, like the no chill method for BIAB?

 

[mmurray]

Ok... I would imagine that pressure method uses a pressure cooker. Can you give me some insight on this as I'm not a caner?

The Ph was 5.5 and like I said they boiled hard boiled for over 30 minutes and that was in the jar. Before the wort was put into the jar both the wort and jars were thoroughly boiled as well.

I just don't understand what it is that stops spoilage of the wort when doing the same process with the only difference being the vessel they were boiled in. (i.e. pot vs. pressure cooker.) or did I miss something else?

Failed once, call it a learning experience... failed twice... call it wasting my time! So please help me learn from my mistakes.

Also... If I would have done the same thing and then put them in the fridge instead of closet, would I not have to worry about spoilage? And if done correctly how long of a shelf life could I expect?

Thanks,

Mark

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Alcohol lowers the ph of the beer as does carbonation (carbonic acid). That's why you don't have the same problems with bottled beer as you do jars of wort.

 

[cracked1]

Ok...I just don't understand what it is that stops spoilage of the wort when doing the same process with the only difference being the vessel they were boiled in. (i.e. pot vs. pressure cooker.) or did I miss something else?

Here's the basics of how it works: In a normal pot boiling water is 212 degrees. Under pressure, boiling water is somewhere around 240 degrees ( or somewhere around there I think). The bacterial spores can easily survive at 212 degrees but are destroyed when boiled at 240 degrees for a certain amount of time.

Clostridium botulinum is the bacterium commonly found in vegetables and meats. It is harmless until it finds itself in a moist, low-acid, oxygen-free environment or a partial vacuum. In other words, a sealed jar! Under these conditions, the bacterium can grow and produce toxins dangerous to people and animals. Yes, we have ALL heard about someone's grandmother who canned without a pressure canner and lived to 90. And we all know people who smoked 2 packs a day and lived to 90. But neither is smart to do, and the odds will catch up with most people. You are literally gambling with your life when you eat low acid foods that were canned using the open water bath, rather than pressure canning method.

Do not process (low acid) vegetables using the boiling water bath because the botulinum bacteria can survive that method.

 

[mmurray]

So now I know for next time!

1 last question... My wort has only been canned for almost 4 weeks now. Could I open them and put new tops on and pressure cook them to save them? Just wondering.