Making wort ahead of time?

[Matthias]

So I have only made two batches so far, but I am doing everything I can to improve my processes. I have a fermenting chamber, now I am looking towards doing yeast starters.

I think I have a good starting grasp on making a starter but I was thinking... Would it be feasible to make a gallon worth of wort at maybe 1.040 SG, seperate it into 1L sanitized mason jars, seal it and keep refrigerated (maybe frozen?)for later use? I would of course bring it back up to pitching temp after refrigeration.

It just seems like it would be easier to do this than to mix up a 1L batch every time I want to make some beer.

Also looking forward to making a stir plate for the starter, fermenting chamber was fun!

 

[dryboroughbrewing]

Sure I often make starter wort from high gravity beer second runnings. I just boil it for 15 minutes chill it enough not to melt the bag and pour it into ziplocks which I freeze.

 

[ZamaMan]

I'm curious about what people will say about this. I don't think I'd personally feel comfortable leaving unfermented wort for a long period of time even in fridge. Fridge temps don't stop bacteria growth I don't think I believe they just slow it.

As far as I know it's common for brewers to get some slight bacteria in beers but it's usually not an issue since the yeast is healthy and consums all the nutrients first so the bacteria doesn't really affect the beer not to mention pH, alcohol and cold storage all discourage bacteria growth as well. But without yeast I'd be paranoid.

 

[LovesIPA]

The problem with storing wort is that boiling doesn't kill everything. There are still organisms left in the wort that survived the boil. Unless you promptly pitch yeast, these organisms (botulism spores) will reproduce and make the wort toxic.

So you either have to make the wort fresh, or boil it in a pressure cooker.

I do starters and measuring out the DME is not a big deal. I just do it when I'm making the starter.

I initially built a stir plate, but got tired of trying to find the right combination of power supply, magnet, and fan. After a while, I realized it would have been cheaper just to buy a stirplate. Bell's Brewing (no affiliation) sells a "stir starter" for $42 which works great out of the box. I don't normally discourage people from attempting DIY projects, but this one proved to be too much time and effort for me to continue to mess with.

 

[Matthias]

I definitely understand the issues with growth inside the fridge. What about freezing? I would think anything that lives through boiling may be more liable to die from freezing, but that may require sub zero temps I can't reach. I am not a bio chemist, just a mechanical designer so this is outside my realm of understanding at the moment.

As for making the stir plate, I have two old computers in my basement that I plan to use, I made the heater from the fermenting chamber from a computer and some headlights... Only thing I can't think of having right off hand is a potentiometer.

I'd definitely appreciate more input on the wort! I should probably start a diy thread for my chamber...

 

[kjackson82]

There aren't any bugs that multiply while frozen. There will be survivors that will begin to multiply once brought back to temp but making a batch, freezing it then thawing and boiling for one time use would be just fine. I say this with confidence due to having to take food processing safety certification classes at work. Same principle with microwaving leftovers. They state you should only reheat food once after cooking but in reality as long as it isn't left out, uncovered on the counter at room temp for extended periods of time then you wouldn't have any issues either. A lot of these rules are made to keep the few seriously challenged masses from killing themselves. You can't just say, "use common sense anymore!"