Pressure canning starter wort

[helterscelter]

Tl/Dr; does this look ok? Or did I miss up?

Ok. I tried canning starter wort today. It seemed like an easy enough proposition. I figured out how much dme and water per jar to let me dilute a single jar to approximately 1.040 as a 2liter starter. So far so good. I ended up with 10 quart jars at approximately 1.095. a little high but not bad. I didn't measure that closely.

I did two batches since my canner can only fit 7 quart jars. Ran them for 20 min at 15psi (following canner's directions). Let cool.. etc.

When taking them out I noticed that all the jars sorta look like miso soup. Is this normal?

 

[helterscelter]

Tl/Dr; does this look ok? Or did I miss up?

Ok. I tried canning starter wort today. It seemed like an easy enough proposition. I figured out how much dme and water per jar to let me dilute a single jar to approximately 1.040 as a 2liter starter. So far so good. I ended up with 10 quart jars at approximately 1.095. a little high but not bad. I didn't measure that closely.

I did two batches since my canner can only fit 7 quart jars. Ran them for 20 min at 15psi (following canner's directions). Let cool.. etc.

When taking them out I noticed that all the jars sorta look like miso soup. Is this normal?View attachment 605893

I'm going to try shaking the heck out of them once they cool a bit. Maybe that's all just dme that came out of solution? Not all of them were perfectly dissolved before I canned.. but even the ones that were perfectly dissolved in the second batch look like this.. I made especially sure that the 3 jars in the second batch were completely mixed after I saw how the first batch came out

 

[Vale71]

This is perfectly normal. Because of the higher temperatures you get an inordinate amount of hot break. DME won't come out of solution.

 

[helterscelter]

This is perfectly normal. Because of the higher temperatures you get an inordinate amount of hot break. DME won't come out of solution.

Interesting. I was not aware that you could get hot break with dme. Thanks!

 

[imasickboy]

Definitely normal.

 

[kh54s10]

How are you going to use those? You will need to dilute them quite a bit if they are at 1.095. They also look very dark, but in comparison I made mine from 2 row all grain.

 

[helterscelter]

How are you going to use those? You will need to dilute them quite a bit if they are at 1.095. They also look very dark, but in comparison I made mine from 2 row all grain.

I plan to dilute to 1.040 ish. I'll need to add about 1.3 quarts which should get me a total volume around 2 liters. (Haha. I mixed imperial and metric measurements in one sentence! Some one reading this is going to have an aneurysm)

Dme does make it pretty dark. It should be lighter once I dillute.

 

[kh54s10]

I plan to dilute to 1.040 ish. I'll need to add about 1.3 quarts which should get me a total volume around 2 liters. (Haha. I mixed imperial and metric measurements in one sentence! Some one reading this is going to have an aneurysm)

Dme does make it pretty dark. It should be lighter once I dillute.

That explains it. When I made my batch of starter wort, I canned them at 1.038 in quart jars. So 2 of them were just under 2 liters. The all grain and the lower gravity would for sure make mine a bunch lighter.

 

[tll77]

The break material in the jar is normal as previously stated. Maybe there is more in your jars due to more extract.
Mine turn darker, but not that dark, again more extract is likely the reason.

Left is unprocessed and right has been processed.
Also, these are made with AG 2row, when I've used dme in the past they come out darker.

They drop very clear after a few months in the pantry.

I also do not dilute. For me, the purpose of having canned starter wort is to have it ready to create a starter with no extra steps but sanitizing.

 

[Vale71]

Interesting. I was not aware that you could get hot break with dme. Thanks!

It is still an all-malt wort... The darker color is partly due to the higher thermal load DME experiences while being dried, but also because you pressure-cooked it at a higher temperature. Wort darkening is proportional to time as well as temperature.

 

[helterscelter]

I also do not dilute. For me, the purpose of having canned starter wort is to have it ready to create a starter with no extra steps but sanitizing.

I thought about canning at 1.040, but I didn't have large enough jars and I wanted to burn up all the dme I had on hand.

I may get bigger jars next time.

 

[kh54s10]

I thought about canning at 1.040, but I didn't have large enough jars and I wanted to burn up all the dme I had on hand.

I may get bigger jars next time.

IMO, quart jars are the right ones. 1 quart is .95 liters, close enough for me. I then use 2 if I need a 2 liter starter. etc. Maybe mix in some pint jars for in between(s)....

 

[gromitdj]

I also can mine at about 1.090. They do appear pretty dark and with the same break material. They eventually clear up. I just try to avoid pouring that portion into the flask.

For me, it's more about convenience, so I like to calculate what size starter I need then use a spreadsheet to determine how much wort and water I need. Then I use bottled water to make the starter. I pressure can in a mix of 16, 24, and 32 oz. jars so that I can use a combination of jars to get the amount I need.

I usually overbuild my starters to harvest pre pitch, so sometimes I'm doing a pretty big starter (4L plus)

 

[DoubleEh]

Any thoughts on my pressure canned starter wort? This was made to approximately 1.075 using 7.5 year old DME that had hardened into the consistency of peanut brittle.

Also, is it normal for it to continue bubbling as it cools?

 

[JohnK93]

Do you guys pour the hot break into your starters? I try to keep it out, but as a result I'm leaving behind some of the wort too, so my two quart mason jars only produce about 1.6L of usable starter wort.

Thanks,
John

 

[helterscelter]

Any thoughts on my pressure canned starter wort? This was made to approximately 1.075 using 7.5 year old DME that had hardened into the consistency of peanut brittle.

Also, is it normal for it to continue bubbling as it cools?

View attachment 607079

Mine boiled as it cooled for quite a while. This is normal. At least I can understand why it would do that (physics)

I think your cans look ok to me. Not that I'm an expert or anything. I had a couple look similar. Hardened dme isn't a issue as long as it didn't go moldy or mildew.

 

[helterscelter]

Do you guys pour the hot break into your starters? I try to keep it out, but as a result I'm leaving behind some of the wort too, so my two quart mason jars only produce about 1.6L of usable starter wort.

Thanks,
John

I plan to. Hot break doesn't hurt my normal brews and I can't imagine it would be an issue from a starter. It should all settle out in the fermenter

 

[Bassman2003]

These look line mine, so I would say no worries. Another added benefit of canning higher gravity is that the bottled water has some oxygen in it. So when you mix it in you are adding some O2 to the starter. One of these to make a 2L starter just tears up a 5 gallon ale. Been very happy with canning for the many years I have done it.

 

[helterscelter]

Finally used the first of my canned wurt to make a starter. Easiest damn starter I've ever made.. poured the canned wurt into a sanitized flask, leaving most of the hot break in the jar. Used Brewers friend to calculate the top up to reach my intended og. Pitched two packs of wlp004 (they are past the expiration date, but should be just fine). Then finally threw it into my maelstrom. Took all of 5 minutes. Freaking awesome

 

[Bassman2003]

Yes. Glad it went well. Can't beat the convenience.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Finally used the first of my canned wurt to make a starter. Easiest damn starter I've ever made.. poured the canned wurt into a sanitized flask, leaving most of the hot break in the jar. Used Brewers friend to calculate the top up to reach my intended og. Pitched two packs of wlp004 (they are past the expiration date, but should be just fine). Then finally threw it into my maelstrom. Took all of 5 minutes. Freaking awesome

View attachment 627783View attachment 627784View attachment 627785

Mine look like yours. Need to culture up soon Schneider & Sohn Weissbier.

 

[Ki-ri-n]

I've tried searching and thought it best to add it here rather than a new post.....

Anyone use an Instant Pot to can (got one for SWAMBO for x-mas)?
Do you use the sterilize "feature" or just plain old pressure cook @ high for 10-15 minutes?

We got an 8 quart Duo Plus. Working pressure is 10.2-11.6 PSI on High. Seems a little on the low side where I've seen 15PSI for canning in other posts regarding "regular" pressure cookers.

 

[Schlenkerla]

@Ki-ri-n ,

Don't use the insta pot for wort. The pressure is too low. Use a Presto Pressure Canner. It hits the min pressure of 15psi. Menards, Farm & Fleet and maybe Wal-Mart has them.

I use my insta pot to make some of the best crystal malt and sour malt. We can talk more about that after Christmas.

I have the Ultra, it has more temperature adjustment than some of the other models. It's fully adjustable 100-200F. In 1 degree adjustments.

Check to see if yours has the ability to hold ~118F to sour and mash temps of 147-152F. If you want to do either consider the Ultra Model. Especially if you haven't used it yet.

Cheers & Merry Christmas [emoji482][emoji482][emoji482]

 

[ba-brewer]

what @Schlenkerla said, to ensure the wort is safe you want to take it to 15psi.

I had seen some information on generic canning that calls out different amounts of time for different size jars so I have been doing my quarts for 30min and 20min for the smaller jars. Not sure if it is really needed but it makes me feel better.

Also found if you swirl the jars a day or two after canning you can get most of the break off of the side of the jar. Might not make a difference but I prefer to use the clean wort.

 

[smcinco]

@helterscelter How did you prevent boil overs escaping your jars? I canned 4 jars and ended up with about 1.75qt in each one. They still sealed but I'm thinking that wasn't normal. Yours look like they didn't lose any liquid.

 

[Schlenkerla]

@helterscelter How did you prevent boil overs escaping your jars? I canned 4 jars and ended up with about 1.75qt in each one. They still sealed but I'm thinking that wasn't normal. Yours look like they didn't lose any liquid.

I had that issue. You don't need a crazy vigorious boil, you need just enough heat to build pressure and allow the set-pressure vent or barely crack and vent steam.

 

[ba-brewer]

Don't rush the cool down allow to cool gently can also help. Even doing that I have a few jars that continue to boil on the counter.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Finally used the first of my canned wurt to make a starter. Easiest damn starter I've ever made.. poured the canned wurt into a sanitized flask, leaving most of the hot break in the jar. Used Brewers friend to calculate the top up to reach my intended og. Pitched two packs of wlp004 (they are past the expiration date, but should be just fine). Then finally threw it into my maelstrom. Took all of 5 minutes. Freaking awesome

View attachment 627783View attachment 627784View attachment 627785

I've been eyeing your stir plate at Northern Brewer. Do you care to comment on it's performance?

 

[Horseflesh]

When I can starter wort, I arrange things so I can just leave the canner on the stove cooling for hours, even overnight. No point in opening it until things have cooled off completely. Don't rush it.

 

[crane]

Echoing others sentiment about letting it cool down slowly. I rushed it the first time and ended up with jars 1/3 to 1/2 full and a perfectly annoying coating of sticky wort on the outside of the jars.

 

[Schlenkerla]

When I can starter wort, I arrange things so I can just leave the canner on the stove cooling for hours, even overnight. No point in opening it until things have cooled off completely. Don't rush it.

That's exactly how I do it too. When the pressure subsides and safety interlock turns off I'll open the cooker. Then I'll do the next batch.

 

[ba-brewer]

I do 4 gals at a time, so like 3 maybe 4 batches depending on the mix of jar, cant leave for hours between but if I wait for 0 pressure without messing with it that is usually OK.

 

[Bassman2003]

I try to not leave the mason jars in very long after the poppet falls. You actually want a pretty quick temp drop on the jars to create the vacuum. Times where I have waited too long to take the jars out of the water resulted in quite a few jars without sealed lids. So now, once I can open the cooker lid I take them out and place them on a towel to cool. Then it is pop pop pop with the lids.

 

[enkamania]

I make a 3-ish gallon batch which I get 24 jars of starter. My pressure canner only holds 8, so I have to do it three times.

 

[CodeSection]

I've been eyeing your stir plate at Northern Brewer. Do you care to comment on it's performance?

You might be interested in this https://www.northernbrewer.com/collections/2019-best-sellers/products/maelstrom-stir-plate 28.58% off....sale price $99.98.

 

[ba-brewer]

This is from the wort I canned yesterday showing the before and after color. Briess golden DME dissolved in hot water but not boiled prior to canning.

 

[Schlenkerla]

This is from the wort I canned yesterday showing the before and after color. Briess golden DME dissolved in hot water but not boiled prior to canning.
View attachment 661109

Howd you get the jar to shrink?

 

[Schlenkerla]

BTW - I'm ready to do the same.

 

[ba-brewer]

Howd you get the jar to shrink?

May have had the heat turned up too high.

 

[khannon]

Howd you get the jar to shrink?

Cold water will do that..