When is wort no longer wort?

[Aleforge]

At what point does wort change to beer, after the first yeast cells work their magic? When FG is reached? It seems like it would be once the sugars started conversion but I have never been sure!

Thanks

 

[BarleyWater]

I've heard that it is once the yeast has started, it's beer.

 

[menschmaschine]

I've read that, by definition, it is beer when the yeast are pitched.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I would say it depends on who you ask. It is going to depend on what alcohol level is considered beer.
Personally I would say as soon as that first bit of alcohol gets pooped out by a yeast cell.

 

[Clayton]

after the yeast is pitched is no longer wort in the world of brewing

 

[Revvy]

I understand there is some legal definitions, like for Brew on Premises, that define it at yeast pitch.

 

[Aleforge]

Ok that is what I thought, my wife was quizzing me earlier and made the comment. So if its wort now, when is not no longer wort. I boldly stated its only wort until the yeast take action, but then when thinking about it I wasn't so sure anymore.

 

[Gildog]

i would say that as soon as it has any alchohol in it, then its beer. Even non alch beer has .5 percent alchohol., but its still called beer. it ceases to be wort when the yeast starts to convert it, at that point it becomes beer as the yeast excretes taht first alchohol. you can pitch yeast you know is dead into wort and it will still be wort in my opinion

 

[JLem]

also, I'm willing to bet that moment of pitch and production of alcohol are going to be pretty much the same thing. Probabilistically, with 100 billion yeast cells or more at pitching, one of them is bound to produce a molecule of ethanol. Not detectable in any sense, and it will still take a while for the bulk of the cells to get going, but it's there, so if your definition of beer is when alcohol is produced, I'd say it's beer pretty much when the yeast is pitched.

 

[Gildog]

also, I'm willing to bet that moment of pitch and production of alcohol are going to be pretty much the same thing. Probabilistically, with 100 billion yeast cells or more at pitching, one of them is bound to produce a molecule of ethanol. Not detectable in any sense, and it will still take a while for the bulk of the cells to get going, but it's there, so if your definition of beer is when alcohol is produced, I'd say it's beer pretty much when the yeast is pitched.

good point