Theory idea on pipeline and wort storage

[DonNowlin]

Just a theory I was discussing with some friends. Would it be possible to brew a few different types of wort (hefe, IPA, and wit for example) and before pitching the yeast, store them in a sanitized carboy or bucket and keep them indefinitely until your pipeline is ready. Then pitch the yeast one at a time for a constant throughput? How long will unpitched wort last at, say 71 degrees in a sanitized and sealed container?

 

[Andrikos]

I'd give it a couple of days and then you'd have a nice sour wort.
"Sanitized" doesn't mean there are no bugs (wild yeast, bacteria, mold, viruses etc.) that will be happily and lustfully multiplying in your nutritious wort.
Definitely NOT recommended.

"Sterilized" is the word you're looking for. You'll have to boil your wort in a pressure cooker and then package it in a sterile and air free container. It's usually done for saving some wort for starters but in the multigallon-scale it's not practical at all.

If, however, you have the ability to DEEP freeze your wort, well, that's another story....

 

[grathan]

They will spoil.
Why not just ferment them?

 

[RM-MN]

Check out how the Aussies do their "no chill" brewing. They do about what you intend but use a special plastic container to store the wort where they can dump the boiling hot wort into the container (that pasteurized the container) and press out all the air. They store wort for months that way.

You can't do it in a carboy, you can't dump hot wort in without the carboy breaking. Buckets might work but it's really hard to make a seal that won't let in a bacteria and if one gets in, the wort will spoil.

 

[wilserbrewer]

No chill hot packaged in HDPE plastic. Placing chilled wort in a sanitized fermenter and letting it sit is not a viable option.

 

[eulipion2]

I've been a no-chiller for about 4 years, and while I've only stored my wort for a couple weeks, I've read of others who stored wort for 6 months or more! Basically, if you're going to store long-term, squeeze out as much air from your container as you can, then seal air-tight. You're basically hot-canning your wort.

I use THESE containers, but there are a bunch out there. You do have to adjust your hop schedule, but I've been getting great results.

 

[DonNowlin]

Not that I have any intent on trying this (usually brew once every two months to keep beer in the pipeline). Just a theory that we came up with off the cuff. But it would be nice if I had the time and storage to have a few "off the shelf" worts ready to go. This all stemmed from my build of a ferm chamber which only holds one carboy and that being the bottleneck so to speak.

 

[Poobah58]

Why not ferment then store? Why do you feel the need to store without fermenting? Fermented beer will last a very long time in a keg...

 

[RM-MN]

I've found that the easiest way to store that wort is to put it in a fermenter, add yeast, and then let it sit to ferment and then mature in the fermenter. I've only gone 9 weeks this way but I have heard others talk of several months. Just make sure to keep the airlock filled as it will tend to evaporate.

 

[DonNowlin]

I don't feel the need to do this.
The question was purely academic and hypothetical.
Give the conditions of (1) your kegerator is full of beer, (2) you have a full ferm chamber (mandatory that you use the ferm chamber), (3) you have a week or so off of work to brew all you want (4) no other time left in the year to brew (all weekends are full, no holidays..).
Your pipeline will be empty in 3 months after you empty the kegerator and refill with what's in the ferm chamber - how do you replenish - CAN it be done, not SHOULD it be done. And if so, what conditions?

 

[grathan]

How hard could it be to make the fermchamber bigger?


I will pull stuff from the ferm chamber and leave out in the hot after 2-3 days of cooled fermentation and use the free space to start the next fermentation.

 

[eulipion2]

For those wondering why:
1) save water that would otherwise go through the chiller (original intention by water-starved Australians)

2) brew in nice weather, ferment when it's cold outside

3) do all your brewing up front (say while you're on vacation) and ferment at your convenience (when your pipeline is running low)

4) real wort starter: using the same wort for beer and starter

It really is convenient, and I've been getting great results over the last four years. The only problem I have is with hoppy beers. While I've done a pretty tasty IPA that got 3rd place at a fairly big competition, hop-bursting doesn't have the same effect as it does with a chilled beer, so there's a little less flexibility there. Otherwise I've done all my brews this way, including a ton of saisons, and spot-on SNPA and Blue Moon clones.

 

[ScubaSteve]

+1 to the Australian method.....but I do worry about the leeching of nasty chemicals into the wort, especially at high temp. Same reason why vinyl tubing is a no-no on the hot side.

If you think about it, extract achieves what you describe. It is a concentrated form of wort...just add water and hops. If you use the Aussie method, there is no need to chill....and it's probably cheaper...each method has its pluses and minuses.