How long can I store about 4.5 gallons of wort without pitching any yeast into it. I brewed today and was planning on pitching some washed yeast that was in the fridge for about two weeks I normally make a starter before but I didn't plan ahead and decided to go ahead and pitch the washed yeast straight into the wort. I split the entire yeast cake into only two containers and figured it would be ok because of the amount of the yeast present in the containers and the short amount of time it was in the fridge. So I started brewing then a couple hours later I look at the container and theres a nasty looking bubbly growth on the outside of the container. I obviously had a contamination so I dumped the yeast. Since I already stated brewing ( it was 10pm at this time). I was not able to get a new vile of yeast and will not be able to till Monday morning. I finished brewing then placed the wort into my carboy after cooling with an air lock on it. So my question is how long could I possibly store the wort before I should be worried about contamination?
Storing unpitched wort
- Thread starter deuce40
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Do a search for "No chill" brewing, the Aussies do a lot of it for water conservation and there should be some good info on how long they let their wort sit. Seal it up, get it as cold as you can, and if you have CO2 put a blanket of that in the fermentor.
Do I got back yesterday and took a look at my wort and all looked good so I was excited and planed to go to my lhbs to pick up some fresh yeast. I wake up this morning and go to brush my teeth and hear my air lock bubbling away. Ive been infected!!!! It doesn't look crazy though. it looks like if I were to have pitched brewers yeast into it. There's a layer of krausen just like any other brew and actually smells go coming through the air lock. I think I'm going to let this one ride and see what it does.
Oh and in regards to no chill looks like its great but I cooled it before I poured it into my fermenter. I sounds like the hot wort sterilizes better then star San can. Or I might have just some bacteria or wild yeast introduced while I was cooling.
brycelarson
Well-Known Member
Might love it - might be terrible, either way it's a fun trial.
mewithstewpid
Well-Known Member
you may have a new house yeast on your hands!
You never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever want to transfer chilled wort unless you are ready to pitch. For the no-chill method, either leave it in the kettle with the top on or rack it to a glass carboy while it's still 200°F+. That way, your vessel is heat sanitized. Star San reduces bacteria counts. It does not sterilize.
Without transferring, wort should be stable for 2-3 days. Google "wort stability test" and you can see how this test is done. Since you transferred into a non-heat sterilized container, your wort was probably stable for only 24 hours so your time has passed.
If you are short on fermenters, dump it. If you can spare one to experiment with, pitch yeast ASAP and age it out. Hopefully you just got a wild yeast strain which would be pretty cool.
EDIT: DO NOT RACK HOT WORT TO GLASS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS
Without transferring, wort should be stable for 2-3 days. Google "wort stability test" and you can see how this test is done. Since you transferred into a non-heat sterilized container, your wort was probably stable for only 24 hours so your time has passed.
If you are short on fermenters, dump it. If you can spare one to experiment with, pitch yeast ASAP and age it out. Hopefully you just got a wild yeast strain which would be pretty cool.
EDIT: DO NOT RACK HOT WORT TO GLASS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS
NO!! Thermal shock will be the death of a carboy! No chill requires SS or HDPE containers.
Molybedenum
Well-Known Member
My guess is that you had some dormant yeast in your carboy, so it took off. It might not even be wild... Just whatever you had in it previously.
Bacteria, afaik, takes longer to establish itself.
Bacteria, afaik, takes longer to establish itself.
tre9er
Well-Known Member
So far I've chilled two batches down to about 80-90 degrees (can't get them cooler until I change up equipment some) and then racked into sanitized buckets, then placed in ferm chamber with airlocks for under 12 hours, then pitched. I can't put my kettle in the ferm chamber or submerge it in water (e-BK) and my ground water isn't cold enough to chill to pitching temps right now. Once I get the pond-pump setup, I will try that.
Curtis2010
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Yes, this is how it was done before fermentation was fully understood. They made an "offering to the angels" by leaving the wort open to the night sky for the night.
Be sure and post how it tastes. You might could even isolate your own "house blend" of yeast/bacteria!
bigbeergeek
Well-Known Member
I'll subscribe for tasting notes.
tre9er
Well-Known Member
deuce40 said:
Guessing wild yeast or left over
Drewski8986
Well-Known Member
I cooled my wort to 80 degrees this weekend and let it sit for about 24hrs before I pitched my starter. Usually I make it the day before but did not work out that way this time . Did not have anything like this happen. Subscribed as well . I'm curious to see how this one turns out !
tre9er said:
I'm thinking it left over probably. I cleaned the carboy good and didn't have any sign of yeast still in there, but then again yeast are microscopic organisms. who knows really but I'm hoping for some wild yeast.
So I just got home and check on this beer again and all air lock activity has stopped. The thick layer of krausen is no longer present. I'm going to wait a couple of days and see what happening by taking a hydrometer reading.
This is exactly what I do. Ground water is 85 degrees, so I cant get it colder than that (at least not until winter rolls round). But after a few hours sitting in my ferm fridge which I preset to 40 degrees, it gets to pitching temp in about 6 hours.
Do after a couple of day I'm noticing the bottom of the carboy is getting noticeably darker then the rest. I'm thinking this thing was infected. I also took a gravity reading and it went down 10 points but there are no more signs of fermentation.
tre9er
Well-Known Member
What's the current SG?
tre9er
Well-Known Member
If you're viewing it as an experiment...I'd raise temp slightly and swirl it, then check back in a few days. If you're hoping to salvage it at all costs, you might be able to pitch yeast that's at high krausen and let it do it's thing.
I'd taste it first. Is it sour? or just tastes like sugary wort?
I'd taste it first. Is it sour? or just tastes like sugary wort?
Relax with the colors. Yeast falling out of suspension will result in color changes which is completely normal. I've seen dark up top and light at the bottom and vice versa.
As for the stuck fermentation, give it three days and check again and post. Infections will make the gravity crash hard -- lower than where your yeast would have taken it. If it is still 1.040+, the good news is you don't have an infection (as the infection will consume the sugars), but the bad news is you'll have a stuck fermentation. If this is the case, bring it to room temp and Nottingham to the rescue
Ok I'll try to relax. Lol when I took the gravity sample it didn't smell sour but sweet. I didn't taste it but I will next time I take a sample. I'm going to try to swirl the carboy and move it to a warmer room and hopefully that does the trick. Be back in three day then. Thanks for the advice guys always very helpful on this site.
Air lock is now bubbling away! I'm going to take a reading when I see that activity has slowed down thanks guys for the help. I was so scared that I had a infection. So what did you guys think do I have wild yeast or do you think that it's the same yeast from the last batch.
