How long will cracked grain last?

I ordered a beer kit and had them crack the grain for me. That was about a month or so ago and the cracked grain has not been refrigerated but it is sealed. Is it still good for brewing or will I need to get fresher grains?

By not being refrigerated, has the grain been sitting outside in the hot sun, or has it been in a basement under somewhat cool conditions? I do not like to use Cracked Grains when they have been cracked for more then a week. But hey, I am anal and I know of a few people that have used Cracked Grain that has been sitting around for more then 6 months. If I were you, I'd use the grain you have. Also, are you AG'ing or PM'ing?

Personally, I crack my grains about 10 minutes before I mash in. I understand that not everyone has that option, but it sure is noce to have it.

I've used sealed cracked grains stored at room temps several months after purchase with no ill effects. No worries.

JRX said:

I ordered a beer kit and had them crack the grain for me. That was about a month or so ago and the cracked grain has not been refrigerated but it is sealed. Is it still good for brewing or will I need to get fresher grains?

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They should be fine as long as they've been sealed and kept dry.

Sealed, kept dry in temp range of 60-70? You can go months, no problem.

Thanks for all the input. The grains have been sealed and kept dry at room temp. (73-78) for a couple of months. Also, the yeast (white labs pitchable) has been refrigerated that whole time. Am I safe in assuming the yeast is fine as well?

There should be a date on the vial. If it's passed this date, it's probably still usable but you should make a starter with it to ensure viability. In fact, it's recommended that you use a starter whenever you use liquid yeast. It's also a good ifea to have a couple packs of dry yeast on hand as a back-up in case the liquid yeast has crapped out.

My crushed grains have been sitting unsealed in a paper bag for a week....should i hurry up and use them or will i be ok?

Do they feel damp or kind of clump up in your hand or do the seem dry and granular?

What do you mean by sealed? I crush my own grain at the LHBS, twist it, and bread tie it. Or are you talking about vacuum sealed?

I'd love to get about 3-4 beers worth of crushed grain to use over 6-8 weeks.

Mike

That's fine. the point is to keep humidity and other moisture away from the grains. If you are going to store them for a longer period then you would want to look into something more rugged. 6-8 weeks should be okay as long there isn't any other moisture present.

JRX said:

Thanks for all the input. The grains have been sealed and kept dry at room temp. (73-78) for a couple of months. Also, the yeast (white labs pitchable) has been refrigerated that whole time. Am I safe in assuming the yeast is fine as well?

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I dunnooooo..... he said 60 to 70. :rockin:

i have my crushed grains sitting in a paperbag also for about 3 weeks in my house at 64 f to 68 f. they feel dry. do i need to worry if i cant brew them for another week

malt20 said:

i have my crushed grains sitting in a paperbag also for about 3 weeks in my house at 64 f to 68 f. they feel dry. do i need to worry if i cant brew them for another week

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Brew on!

M_C

sweet. was gettin worried for a moment