Need help, forgot to add yeast!

Oh my.

Read howtobrew.com, then start over from scratch.

 

Your chances are slim and none, and slim just left town.

If you want to take the chance you could do so. In all probability this batch is a 'dumper'.

Cheers!

P.S. And yes, please do read the book How to Brew (available online but the hardcopy book is updated).

 

Chalk it up as a learning experience.

 

I assume you are traveling or something and can't actually physically get to it. Which is too bad. Otherwise, if it has sat for a short length of time, I would still try throwing the yeast in and seeing how it comes out.

 

I'm in the "give it a try" camp. Once you regain access, see if any organisms have taken hold. If so, I feel you're out of luck. Otherwise, try a pack of dry yeast - perhaps US-05.

This could be a real test of your sanitary practices.

 

You could always make a sour beer out of it, especially if it had already picked up some Brett :-)

 

I’d be worried about botulism or some other serious infection making a home in that wort. That beer would be a dumper for me everyday and twice on mondays.

 

Bummer. Dump it. Some dangerous stuff can grow left alone for a week.

I had a friend in a similar situation. He knocked back eight too many during brewday, called me up 3 days later saying he forgot to pitch, even that short amount of time I told him to dump

 

As long as it isn't too infected, I wonder if the wort could be brought back to a light boil for 10-15 minutes, cooled back down and then fermented? That should kill off any germs. You would have to add a little water to account for whatever boiled off.

 

I’m pretty risk averse so that’s gonna be a no for me. Not experienced enough to say if this would work.

 

Shouldn't be any different than making a wort starter. You boil it for 10-15 minutes to kill off the germs. Since the hops have already been removed, it shouldn't make it any more bitter. The only thing is that you may deepen the color a bit. Has anyone tried this?

 

Even if you kill the germs it may be safe to drink but it’s still gonna have all the off flavors from whatever inoculated it.

 

That's why I mentioned "As long as it isn't too infected". If there's a film floating on top, I wouldn't hesitate to toss it. If there's no visible sign of infection, and it doesn't taste off, it might be worth salvaging.

 

You have a timelock on the cupboard? You trolling us? Let’s assume your post was poorly worded and you are legit. When you can get back in, smell the wort. If your sanitation was impeccable it will smell like wort. If it smells like ANYTHING else, dump.
Also, make a brewing checklist and follow it religiously.

 

Bottom line is if it's not infected you are okay. You could do a store-bought test.

I would taste it (a tiny drop), assuming infection is not apparent upon looking/smelling. You might not notice if it was a minor infection though. Do you trust your own sanitation skills? Do you have a good immune system? If it was truly sanitary, it should be fine with a 10 minute boil. That's my take. But I would be skeptical until I drank one without any symptoms the next morning

Also, where do you live? That might make a difference.

 

I'm mostly ignorant on this subject, but when "blenderies" and "geuzerias" obtain wort from other breweries in order to inoculate that wort via mixed or wild cultures and even coolships, is that effort to produce and distribute a wort a wholly different process than what accidentally occurred here?

Are you all saying the pitching of yeast post boil prevents contamination from all the other undesired infections listed above? Because I was under the impression that infection could occur no matter what, at any point in the process.

If the wort was produced with sound practices, aside from maybe going stale, why would it "go bad" after seven days?

 

Very good question, @Sabtos. I'm not too knowledgeable on this issue either, but my understanding is that wild yeast can be introduced at various stages of the brewing process. After boiling, most of the wild yeast should be destroyed, but during cooling, and transferring, the wort is exposed to the air and insects both of which could bring bacteria in the wort.

Thus there could be small amounts of wild yeast in the beer even after boiling. My understanding is that adding a large quantity of brewer's yeast immediately after it has cooled down allows that yeast to take hold and eat all of the sugars before the wild yeast has time to gain energy and divide enough to make a difference.

Leaving the wort for a week could allow any wild yeast present to expand enough to make a difference. However, if very sterile conditions were met, and there was no noticeable yeast colonies present in the wort, it might be possible that after a week, any wild yeast has not yet multiplied enough to make a difference. Also, boiling it again for 10-15 minutes would kill off any of the existing wild yeast.

The best way to check is to see if there is any film or substance floating on the surface, any unusual odors, or if it tastes off. The specific gravity could also be checked to see if any of the sugars have already been consumed by wild yeasts.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge of the process of how wort can be infected, can provide verification and additional information.

 

In this situation I would be more worried about a bacterial contamination vs. wild yeast.

As homebrewers we sanitize vs. sterilize. There will always be unwanted microorganisms (e.g., bacteria) present. When we promptly pitch a healthy dose of brewers yeast they start to grow and simultaneously create an environment less conducive for bacterial growth (i.e., a low pH environment).

Cheers!