How long is LME good for??

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BillTheSlink

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Title says it all. Have some Gold LME from Northern Brewer in Milk Jugs in the fridge from March or April for an Irish Red that I want to make sure is still OK
 
LME "never" really goes bad, but there is a point after which I sure wouldn't use it. LME will eventually grow mold. Many brewers simply scrape the mold off of the top and use it anyway. Even if it hasn't gone "bad", the LME will darken over time, meaning you might want to add half at the start of the boil and the other half with 15 minutes left. This may change your hop utilization, so be sure to adjust accordingly.

Your LME should be fine.
 
If it's sealed from air and stored cold in the refrigerator, then the processes that make LME oxidize and darken are reduced to a minimum and will take a very long time to show up. LME stored in this manner will last quite a while. You are definitely fine with the LME you have.

-Steve
 
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