Grain shelf life

I'm thinking about making the move to AG pretty soon and was wondering about the freshness of grains and their shelf life. As I will probably be buying most of my ingredients mail order, I didn't know if I should be concerned with receiving stale grains? Do grains get stale? Can anyone recommend any online suppliers that have a large turnover of stock?

If i recall correctly, uncrushed grain stored properly is good for 6months to a year under proper conditions.

I'll let one of the all grain guys recomend an online retailer. I like the stuff i get from Midwest.

Since you're in NY I'd recommend Nothern Brewer. They have a pretty big turnaround and really good customer service.

Do you plan on storing crushed or uncrushed grain? Crushed grain should be used as soon as possible or atleast within a week or two of getting it. I dont think that letting crushed grain sit around for a while would be a good idea.

Until I can buy or DIY a grain mill, I will probably be ordering pre-crushed just in the quantities I need for any given recipe. Later, after acquiring said mill, I may order whole grains in bulk as long as I am able to keep them fresh. Would cool, dark, dry and airtight be the right approach to storage?

brewnscooter said:

Until I can buy or DIY a grain mill, I will probably be ordering pre-crushed just in the quantities I need for any given recipe. Later, after acquiring said mill, I may order whole grains in bulk as long as I am able to keep them fresh. Would cool, dark, dry and airtight be the right approach to storage?

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Bingo, keep them at room temp or cooler. More critical is the air, you really don't want to expose the grain to air. Also, some have pumped CO2 into their grain containers to displace the oxygen and also asphyxiate any bugs that might be present. I haven't tried it, but sounds like a good approach.

I recently found 23lbs. of crushed grain I'd forgotten about that had been sitting for 2 months. I brewed it anyway and so far so good. Even though I was within .002 of the stated OG, I wouldn't recommend letting it sit for that long. I'm getting ready to transfer to secondary and dry hop so we'll see.

I have made beer with two year old grain that was kept uncrushed, but in dry, tight containers in my garage. The beer turned out great and has gotten rave reviews from local tasters. The key is dry and air tight containers.

I'm not storing grains presently, but having done it before (not for brewing purposes) I have to tell you to make damn sure whatever container you are using is TIGHT. If you're not storing inside, you're going to attract some vermin even if you've never had them before. I would suggest to use air-tight bags for the grain and a heavy plastic (rubbermaid) container for them to sit in. It would be even better if you could somehow make that air-tight or as close to it as possible. If you have a location close to the ceiling that isn't near a wall (not easy logistically) you would add another barrier of protection there since mice and rats can't see for crap and they usually follow the walls for orientation.

Cheap HDPE containers...the "homer" bucket from HD. 4 bucks with lid, and each one holds 25# of grain. I keep them stacked up in my walk-in closet, which stays under 80F all year round. I'm hoping the grain stays good for up to 1 year.

Displaced MassHole said:

Since you're in NY I'd recommend Nothern Brewer. They have a pretty big turnaround and really good customer service.

Do you plan on storing crushed or uncrushed grain? Crushed grain should be used as soon as possible or atleast within a week or two of getting it. I dont think that letting crushed grain sit around for a while would be a good idea.

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I have kept crushed grain in a sealed bucket in the freezer (chest freezer) and sealed bags for like 6 months and it smelled as fresh as when I put it in there and the beers I made came out great.

Get a Seal-A-Meal and weigh it out in 5 lb increments.

homebrewer_99 said:

Get a Seal-A-Meal and weigh it out in 5 lb increments.

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Hey, I have one of those around collecting dust somewhere. That's a great idea! I'm going to pull it out and see if it still works.

+1
I've been using the cheaper black & decker sealer for years for my grain. I do use the better FoodSaver bags though, and double seal them. Then toss them in a bin in the fridge...

Laughing_Gnome_Invisible said:

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Yah, but that's only if you are in the UK. It does not apply to Ohio so you are safe to go beyond February of next year.

I store mine in buckets as well. I got a couple 6 gallon screw on top buckets that I store it in, I can fit 55lb in two buckets easily.

EdWort said:

Yah, but that's only if you are in the UK. It does not apply to Ohio so you are safe to go beyond February of next year.

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Best before 1 year. I read that as meaning it will last a good deal longer than that.

Laughing_Gnome_Invisible said:

Best before 1 year. I read that as meaning it will last a good deal longer than that.

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Yeah, I was just teasing ya. :cross:

It is interesting though that that is proof of a 1 year shelf life direct from the Maltster if you can keep it at 15 C or 60 F.

My malt is stored in my garage and goes through a temp swing from 100 to the 30's over the years and it still tastes good. My latest batch of Hefe turned out wonderful with over 2 year old malt. I'm glad it did cause it was a 15 gallon batch.

EdWort said:

Yeah, I was just teasing ya. :cross:

It is interesting though that that is proof of a 1 year shelf life direct from the Maltster if you can keep it at 15 C or 60 F.

My malt is stored in my garage and goes through a temp swing from 100 to the 30's over the years and it still tastes good. My latest batch of Hefe turned out wonderful with over 2 year old malt. I'm glad it did cause it was a 15 gallon batch.

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That's good to know. I'm picking up 4 sacks tomorrow which should last me nearly a year (Bullcrap, I'll go crazy with it when I get it) I havn't properly planned the storage yet, so your experience is encouraging!

Laughing_Gnome_Invisible said:

That's good to know. I'm picking up 4 sacks tomorrow which should last me nearly a year (Bullcrap, I'll go crazy with it when I get it) I havn't properly planned the storage yet, so your experience is encouraging!

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I stored my grain in new metal trash cans. I lined the sharp edges of the insides with duct tape and just put the 55# bags in there. When I opened the bag, I did so carefully at the top and resealed it by twisting the bags shut and securing with a nylon cable tie. Next time, I cut the tie with wire cutters, take what I need, and reseal as before. It's worked well and kept the critters out.