Should ingredient kits be stored in the fridge?

Should ingredient kits be stored in the fridge prior to opening them? and how long do they last?

Thanks!

I used to always keep them in the fridge. Don't know if they have to be in the fridge- but I thought "couldn't hurt"

I keep all my ingredients in the fridge. My missus complained about it. I told her, "well maybe I should buy a fridge just for my beer stuff then!"....She agreed.

Go for it. You may even get a new fridge for you beer out of the deal.

^^^^^^

Careful w/ that one Laughing Gnome, whatt you are really saying is that the missus will be getting the new fridge for a couple grand $$, you get the old one in the garage and the electric bill to boot. Now if you can play it into a kegerator, maybe you done well.

Not that I didn't trust the responses(I opted for the "it couldn't hurt"), but I was on the phone with midwest supplies anyway today. I figured I'd share the "official" answer. They said that only the yeast needs to be refrigerated, and the hops was recommended as well. The rest could just be stored in a cool, dry place.

The proper setting between should and needs is determined by the volume of fridge/freezer space and the pass-through rate of ingredients.

[edit] and number and size of local rodents.

I asked this same question at Austin Homebrew Supply and if it will be a long time before you brew, the hops and the grain should be stored in the freezer and the rest will do well in the fridge.

any idea what the threshold is for "long time"?

Dude422 said:

any idea what the threshold is for "long time"?

Click to expand...

I think the general shelf life of most ingredients is about 6 months to a year, tops. If hops are properly dried and cured, kept away from extreme temperatures, and are kept in an airtight glass or plastic container (important) they can be left out. The same goes for grain.

All the fridge is really doing for you is providing a steady environment and temperature, it's not really preserving, per se. The cool temps of the fridge are more geared toward discouraging bacterial/fungal growth; it doesn't stop or slow the chemical changes that eventually spoil malt, grain, and hops. The high humidity, funky spells, and huge spore counts found in the fridge are bad any way you look at it, so make sure your stuff is well protected if you're going to put it in there. A good rule of thumb is that if you can smell the hops or grain outside of the container you have them in, it's guaranteed that your grain and hops can smell the funk in your refrigerator. Might end up with beer that reeks of 3 week old lasagna.

I would avoid the freezer. The ice crystals that form tend to burst cell walls, etc etc, and change the character of the stuff going in there.