Cracked Grains

Ok, I'm a bit sad now. I'm reading my May-June issue of Brew magazine, and they tell me that my crushed grains will only last a few weeks. My question is two fold:

1. Can my grains last longer if I seal them up real tight? (I'm an extract brewer so far with only 5 beers under my belt.)

2. If the grains don't last that long, what is the easiest and most cost effective way to crush the whole grains?


I hate to waste, and wonder if I will even notice the somewhat "old" grains.

You can significantly increase the shelf life of crushed grain by vacuum packing it (by exactly how much, I'm not sure...I always use mine within a few months). If you don't have the capability to do that, then following the magazine's suggestions for shelf life is probably the thing to do.

If you have a local HBS, they might be able to crush grain for you the day before you brew for a small charge (a few cents a pound). If not, you'll need a grain mill. The cheapest kind is called a Corona mill, and it will probably suit just fine for extract + grain recipes. If you want to get into all grain brewing, I recommend a roller mill like the Crankandstein or MaltMill. If you're handy with metal working, there's a link in my signature about the grain mill I built from scratch.

Would freezing help extend the 'shelf life' of cracked grains?

I use the Corona mill for all-grain... takes about 20 minutes for me to crush 12-15 pounds of grain... not too bad, but hand cranking gets old.

It works though and cost me $60.

I buy grain in bulk and when I open a sack I vacuum seal the rest into 2 pound bags. I have had crushed black patent around for 8 to 10 months without any issues regarding freshness. Just keep them cool and dry and sealed.

I too, hand crush with a corona type mill, and I'm not looking to upgrade from it.