Hazelnut syrup in Brewcraft kit not refrigerated, skip it?

Hey everyone,

So I was given a Brewcraft kit as a gift. It was the Rogue Hazelnut Brown kit. I normally do all grain, but it was a gift, so I brewed it up. I am ready to keg it now and noticed that the hazelnut flavoring says to keep refrigerated. I am positive these things are not refrigerated at the store, and I didn't refrigerate it since I got it. Should I just skip it entirely and just go with the beer without flavoring?

Thanks.

You could add a bit to a few bottles to see what it tastes like. If you like it, then use it in a keg next time. Myself, I would not like adding any "flavorings" to my beer that didn't come from a natural source like hops or fruit.

I know that come fall, I will be searching for that hazelnutty flavor in a nut brown ale, but I will probably experiment to get that flavor from a choice of malts.

I hate the flavorings also, usually. This time it came with the whole kit so I debated. That being said, I am also weary of it because it says keep refrigerated and the bottle of flavoring was not sealed, just capped. Not sure how they expected that one to work off the shelf.

Do the "sniff test" on it. Then do a visual test. If it looks good and smells good, use it. There are rules for food items that don't always apply. Your flavoring may not really need refrigeration but the manufacturer still has to follow the rules.