yeast question

[morbid53]

I was planning on brewing a batch of IIPA beer this weekend however the yeast I ordered has yet to come. I dont get a whole lot of free time so I was wondering if it would be safe for me to brew my beer then store my wort in carboy with fermentation lock until my yeast arrives then add yeast?

Thanks
don

 

[Yuri_Rage]

There is a slight risk that fermentation will begin with whatever wild yeast/bacteria is in the air around you at the time you transfer it to the carboy. Sanitize well, make sure the airlock has a good seal, and it seems like an acceptable risk given your situation.

 

[boo boo]

Personally, I wouldn't do it. The risk of infection would be too great for my liking.

 

[Dr Malt]

The unknown here to answer your question, is how long until you expect your yeast to arrive. Since this is unknown, I would wait and brew once you get your yeast.

Dr Malt

 

[Bernie Brewer]

I assume you ordered liquid yeast? Usually we try to avoid lag time, not prolong it. Even if your yeast arrived tomorrow, you're talking about 1-3 days after pitching before krausen starts. That's on top of the amount of time between making your wort and waiting for your yeast. That's assuming you don't make a starter. I'd wait. Better yet, when your yeast arrives, make a starter then wait a couple more days. Sorry it wasn't what you wanted to hear.

 

[Kaiser]

I think it would only work if you can keep the wort at a very low temperature before the yeast arrives (32-36F). You would have to warm it up for pitching though.I have left wort out overnight, hoping that it would get below 50 to pitch in the morning. It actually didn't cool as much as I thought it would, but it didn't get infected either.

If you cannot store the wort near freezing I have to go with the assesment of the others.

Kai

 

[Biermann]

I personally have done this for reasons similar to yours, and have not had a problem. Of course, I use very stringent sanitation, including star san dwells, and an ethanol rinse in the carboy, ethanol rinse of tubing, and flaming the mouth of the carboy prior to draining wort into it (sometimes, if I'm expecting a long lag).

It can be done, although risk of infection is there no matter what your best intentions are.

 

[Kaiser]

and an ethanol rinse in the carboy, ..., and flaming the mouth of the carboy

That sounds like a recipe for a flame shooting out of the carboy

Kai

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

That sounds like a recipe for a flame shooting out of the carboy

Kai

Yeah, I'm definitely going to have to try that...somebody hold my beer!

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Yeah, I'm definitely going to have to try that...somebody hold my beer!

Famous GRABASSer last words : Watch This!

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Famous GRABASSer last words : Watch This!

I made the call this morning as 4 turkey fryers were being arranged in relative close proximity on Walker-san's wooden deck that something or someone was going to catch on fire before the day was over. My shorts do look a little charred, or it could just be from the porter keg explosion that Walker-san unleashed on the unwitting!

 

[Biermann]

Yeah, its a little disconcerting the first time flames fire out of that carboy. . . but at least you know almost every living thing in there is pretty much fried.

I used to be a chemistry and bio lab rat in college--if you couldn't immediately autoclave it, you flamed it.

Probably overkill, but I've never had an infection. . . of course I don't flame everything all the time, either.