Oldest grain

I know this has been asked before but what's the oldest grain that anyone has used and how did the beer turn out?

I have used crushed domestic 2-row that was 6.5 weeks old (since it was crushed) and had no ill effects.

I brewed with an all grain kit from Morebeer that was 3 years old. The grain had been crushed when I purchased it and was kept sealed in double plastic bags. If not for the nasty stale hops (tasted like wet mulch), the beer would have been fine. I made 10 gallons and drank all of it. The flavor grew on me.

I feel dumb for dumping mine now, it was 2.5 weeks old and I thought that was too long. Oh well, $20 bucks down the drain.

Just did an extract kit where the grains were crushed three months prior to brewing. Turns out to be my best beer to date.

I think the only grains you need to worry about is brewers malts, over time you may lose diastatic power. But if you store them right (cool, dry, dark), I think they'd last a couple months, if not longer.

Can't say my beers have been the greatest but they are good. I usually order crushed grains for several beers at the same time and the last beer of the batch often ends up being brewed over a month later. I even brewed an IPA with leftover grains that were all 6weeks to 3months old. I think that batch has a flavor that is a little off but not bad. My grains are always stored sealed in my cool dry basement which helps to extend the life span.
However I just purchased a grain mill so I plan on always brewing with freshly crushed grains from now on.

Craig

Four years for whole pale malt and some crystal. I took a break from brewing, and when I started up again, I couldn't see throwing away all that grain. I made several batches, supplementing small amounts of fresh stuff, and aside from somewhat lower OG's, the beer turned out fine...

cheers -p

I buy my pale malt grain crushed in 25 Kg sacks it probably takes me about 10 weeks or more to get through it all, i have yet to notice any difference in taste from the first batch out of the bag to the last.
I don't even bother tying to keep it cool it just gets put in a cupboard in the house.

perry said:

Four years for whole pale malt and some crystal. I took a break from brewing, and when I started up again, I couldn't see throwing away all that grain. I made several batches, supplementing small amounts of fresh stuff, and aside from somewhat lower OG's, the beer turned out fine...

cheers -p

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4 to 6 years should be good for uncrushed grain kept in sealed bags
awasy from moisture and heat without freezing.
I keep a sack for a year without any flavor difference, and a fellow
MoBster in Ottawa says that 5 years is OK.

I buy two or three batches at a time from the LHBS,I keep them (overlapping batches) in my mash cooler with no ill effects whatsoever. Just my 2c. Shane

Don't know if I should admit this but used up some roasted barley and chocolate malt earlier this year that was over 10 years old.

Had some Wyeast of the same vintage I used last year in several brews, not a good idea.

PT Ray said:

Don't know if I should admit this but used up some roasted barley and chocolate malt earlier this year that was over 10 years old.

Had some Wyeast of the same vintage I used last year in several brews, not a good idea.

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The yeast I can understand, but I'm beginning to think the effects of aging for even crushed grains is almost negligible for practical time periods.

Curious to see if others can chime in here. I use uncrushed grains months old in the cabinet all the time with no difference, but I crush my own grains. However, I just bought some grains online, and I checked the wrong box and 13 pounds of specialty grains all showed up crushed. I was worried at first because who uses 3 poounds of carapils in 2 weeks? However, I'm going to try these over time, and I may completely stop milling at least my own specialty grains.

Yeah, I know the threads old, but it's a good one.

Wow! this is an old thread! I mill my own, and I store everything but base malts in vacuum bags. some of my grains are a couple years old, I taste a few before using, and they still taste great. base malt on the other hand, that stuff only lasts a few weeks to a month or two before I kill the sack.

Yeah, old thread it is. I've ordered crushed grains from BMW and used them 6 months after the fact. I just leave them in their original sealed bags and store in my kegerator at or around 36 degrees.

I'm using malting company crushed grains that i bought 3 months ago. No problems whatsoever. I keep them in Home Depot buckets with lids, in the closet under the stairs of my house.

My brewpub hooks me up on bags, but unfortunately he will only order precrushed.

M_C

azscoob said:

Wow! this is an old thread! I mill my own, and I store everything but base malts in vacuum bags. some of my grains are a couple years old, I taste a few before using, and they still taste great. base malt on the other hand, that stuff only lasts a few weeks to a month or two before I kill the sack.

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Yeah, that's what I kinda figured. I think general misconceptions have changed over the last few years. Posts from a few years ago would have you believe grain turns flavorless after 2 weeks. All of my grains, except for the newest batch of specialty stuff, are unmilled. I just can't imagine anyone really telling a difference on a 15# recipe, when 1# pound of it is a little old. Heck, I eat oatmeal, quick or old fashioned, after it has been in the cabinet

I'm thinking crushed grains would be ok enough, even after a couple years of decent storage.