So, yesterday I set out to brew a simple Saison - extract + specialty grains - and due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to stop after smacking the yeast pack (Wyeast Activator) heating the water and steeping the specialty grains. I want to finish now. I have two questions: 1) Do I need new yeast? The pack inflated nicely, but it's been sitting in my apartment at 70-something degrees since then. 2) Can I recover the wort from the steeped grain? I left it in the brew kettle, covered.
The yeast will be fine. I'm not sure I'd risk using the wort from your specialty grains, though. How hard would it be to buy some more specialty grains and start your steep over again? Did it get up to a boil or did you leave it to steep at 158F or something like that? If the latter, I'm thinking it's probably a sour mash by now. P.S. If you decide not to brew today just throw that inflated yeast pack in the fridge until you're ready for it.
Then I say you're fine to reuse. Worst that could have happened is it spoiled a little and might lend some sourness or weirdness, but if you're going to boil again there's no risk of contamination. Taste it and, if it doesn't taste too incredibly vile, use it.
If it soured a bit, it might actually add a nice touch to a Saison. A bit unconventional, perhaps, but intriguing.
you steeped but never added DME/LME? If so, just start the boil now. I often times do 2 part brew days when I mash/sparge then the boil the next day( I do all grain).
Thats what I was thinking.. Chances are it never stayed hot enough, to get soured... If it did, might be good!
Never thought of 2 part brew days, might have to try it on my busy weeks. Like everyone else said, should be fine if you didn't boil yet.
