Is wheat beer ok for yeast starter ?

[Wheelspin]

Quick question to experts.

I've saved some runoff from my wheat beer I've just made with the intention of bottling it for use as wort for future yeast staters. No hops in it.

Is this OK or is wheat wort not so good for this purpose.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[MachineShopBrewing]

If you do that, then you need to pressure cook it. Unfermented wort is just asking for botulism toxin.

 

[Wheelspin]

Jeepers !!!! - even if drawn directly off the mash tun at 70 C and bottled and capped in sanitized bottles ?

 

[joyceman]

You could just freeze it.

 

[MachineShopBrewing]

Jeepers !!!! - even if drawn directly off the mash tun at 70 C and bottled and capped in sanitized bottles ?

Yep. You need to be around 250F I believe to kill the spores. Either that or drive the pH down below 4.5 IIRC.

You could just freeze it.

That would work.

 

[Warthaug]

The simplest way is to freeze it, then boil before use. You also want an OG of 1.040; if nessisary, use water to dilute to get to that gravity (ideally before freezing). A lot of us prepare our starters this way, as its cheaper than DME.

As for will it work - if yeast will make beer out of it, they'll eat it in a starter. In simple terms, a starter is little more than oxidized, badly tasting beer!

Bryan

 

[Wheelspin]

Thank you everyone for the invaluable advice.