Old Wort

[StarRaptor]

I have about a half a gallon of wort in my fridge that I used for some yeast starters the last time I brewed back in January.

The gallon was a clean and sanitized glass jar prior to being fulled

I used it to step up some starters back in January

I'm gearing up to brew on Sunday and plan on splitting a vial of WLP007 into two starters

Can I use the wort I have or should I start fresh?

[dhempy]

Not sure ... maybe someone has more experience. I know that folks have used "canned" wort where it was sealed up on a jar with a pressure cooker. IIWM, I would either make fresh or at least bring that one to a boil first.

Dan

[3rdto1st]

You have plenty of time to make a new starter, and with about 2mo on the old one, I would say make a fresh one. Any bacteria in that wort would have grown slowly, yes, but it still would have grown. Be safe and do a new one.

[maltbarley]

I've done it as I don't have canning equip. If it had bacteria in it and it was a tight seal, it would have bloated. Just boil it again and use it.

[bwarbiany]

And of course there's the simple sanity check -- take a hydrometer sample. If it's dropped in gravity, then you have bacteria in there that has fermented it. If it's the same, then it's fine.

I definitely recommend re-boiling, which would then kill anything in there, but take a hydro sample first to make sure there's still sugar left over for the yeast.

(Edit: realized I said exactly the opposite of what I intended, edited to fix it.)

[StarRaptor]

Just made a fresh one. I figured if I had to ask the question deep down I knew the answer

[dhempy]

Just made a fresh one. I figured if I had to ask the question deep down I knew the answer

Better safe than sorry ...

[lexuschris]

Just made a fresh one. I figured if I had to ask the question deep down I knew the answer

a wise man.
--LC

"The well-bred contradict other people, the wise contradict themselves" - Oscar Wilde

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter." - Confucius

[grico]

I put my extra runnings into quart ziplock bags, and then throw them in the freezer. Pull out a quart or 2 and throw them into a pot, boil 30min and i have a nice starter. I am sure it keeps a bit longer than wort in the fridge. I am constantly building starters though, so they dont stay around for very long.

[ArrogantDan]

What's the gravity on the extra runnings? I just read in Jamil's yeast book that a starter's OG should be between 1.030 - 1.040.

[grico]

I seem to be running a little high at the end lately, around 1.023-1.030. So a 30min boil puts me right in that 1.030-1.040 range.

[ArrogantDan]

Perfect, nice strategy...