Old Extract Kit--Should I Brew It?

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luckylindy345

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I recently scored a second equipment kit for $25 (craigslist) and the kit included a Brewer's Best Ingredient Kit. The reason the kit was so cheap is because it has been sitting in a basement, unused for about 8 years (my guess) and the previous owner never found the time to brew with it. Anyway, I checked the date on the yeast packet and it said to use by 2001. My question is, is it worth brewing this kit? Obviously, I would use new yeast. The hops are vaccuum sealed and the extract is in a metal container. My guess is that everything would work out alright as long as I got new yeast, but I could see it coming out tasting like cardboard because the hops are so old...Maybe I should get new hops from my LHBS?

What do you guys think?

-E
 
you have the kit. All you need is water I'd use it. If it tastes like crap your only out some time and tastebuds. Consider it practice :)
 
From what I gather, all brewing ingredients have a shelf life, whether it be extracts, grains, or what have you. The extracts are generally the most expensive single component of any kit, and they are canned, so I don't see the harm in giving them a try. But the grains and hops probably taste like straight plastic by now. The hops especially would probably turn to dust as soon as you opened the vacuum bag.

An option to consider, Northern Brewer charges about as much for full kits as most places charge for extract alone.

But on the other side of the coin, replacing your specialty grain and hops will cost about $10, if that. As an added advantage, you don't have to follow the original recipe. Just figure out what type of malt extract you have, and how much (ie: 6.6 pounds of light, 3.3 pounds of amber, etc). Find an extract recipe that calls for that much, figure out what components it uses, and buy them.

UPDATE: I read here that malt extract should generally be used within six months of purchase. After that time, the extract takes on a molasses taste, which is apparent in the finished beer. So, by all accounts, the malt you have is probably molasses by now. You might be able to pull it off if you want to brew a stout, but other than that just pitch it and get a fresh kit.
 
Alright, sounds good. I'll go ahead and brew it (maybe with new grains/hops) and just hope for the best and like jspence1 said, it's good practice...I could use more of that! If it's disgusting I'll give it to my roommates and tell 'em it's a new kind of beer put out by budweiser (they love that stuff for some reason)
 
you have the kit. All you need is water I'd use it. If it tastes like crap your only out some time and tastebuds. Consider it practice :)

If it taste like crap, is it the process that failed or the ingredients? Practice only works when there is a measurable outcome.

To the OP, Dump it. I wouldn't waste the time and effort for something that probably won't turn out good. Everyone says use the freshest extract possible to avoid extract tang. :clue:

I don't eat 8 year old crackers from someone's basement.

I don't drink tea made with 8 year old teabags.

I don't cook with 8 year old sugar.

I DO, however, love 8 year old single malt scotch. Even if it was found sealed up in a basement. :D
 
I made a batch with old extract and it was horrible. Tasted a bit like soy sauce and in a really bad way.
 
Yeah, lucky, in hindsight I would strongly consider a Northern Brewer kit if I was in your position. You're talking less than $30 shipped for the Red Ale, which is supposed to be very good. Add that to the cost of your kit, and you're still in the green by a lot (most bucket-based kits cost about $70, and don't include ingredients).

Right now it might sound logical to give what you have a go, but when you think you'll be in the primary for about 3 weeks, and bottles for another 3 -- is it worth all that time for something that has a fairly good chance of being quite bad?

As an aside, make sure you have everything sterilized well, clean your bottles, etc etc. Pick up The Complete Joy of Home Brewing by Charlie Papazian as well. Very helpful.
 
Yeah, lucky, in hindsight I would strongly consider a Northern Brewer kit if I was in your position. You're talking less than $30 shipped for the Red Ale, which is supposed to be very good. Add that to the cost of your kit, and you're still in the green by a lot (most bucket-based kits cost about $70, and don't include ingredients).

Right now it might sound logical to give what you have a go, but when you think you'll be in the primary for about 3 weeks, and bottles for another 3 -- is it worth all that time for something that has a fairly good chance of being quite bad?

As an aside, make sure you have everything sterilized well, clean your bottles, etc etc. Pick up The Complete Joy of Home Brewing by Charlie Papazian as well. Very helpful.

Yeah, I've read The Complete Joy of Home Brewing and the equipment kit I just bought is in addition to my original kit, so I wouldn't have to be worried about tying up a fermenter for no good reason...I don't need it anyway! But yeah, looks like the general concensus is don't brew it! So I won't brew it! Thanks all
 
I don't eat 8 year old crackers from someone's basement.

I DO, however, love 8 year old single malt scotch. Even if it was found sealed up in a basement. :D

8 years. Too long for crackers, too soon for Scotch. :drunk:
 
I say taste the extract. If it tastes like soy sauce or cream of mushroom pitch it. It it tastes like extract, why the hell not brew it? You won't win a ribbon for it but you might enjoy it or be able to pass it off on folks who wouldn't be able to tell between that and your good stuff. Tell them it's aged malt. Oh, fancy you! : )

Don't think that because it's going to take you over a month to see the final product that it's going to be taking up your precious time just sitting there. BREW IT!!
 
hmm so many conflicting viewpoints! I do wanna brew it really bad just because I want to brew and don't want to spend another 30 bucks right now. And you bring up a good point since there's no way I'll be able to resist at least opening the extract and smelling it. I might just brew it and bump this thread in 5 or 6 weeks to let everyone know how it went!
 
My two cents, I'd pick a day when you've got time to brew it up, then crack the extract and give it a sniff and taste. If it's not, well, malty then toss and abort the brew plans. If it passes the taste test, why not give it a shot?

Does sound like you'll need new yeast and hops, though.
 
I've personally brewed a can o coopers that was dated two years ago. Ok Its still not good beer after 6 weeks in the bottle but I can drink it. I hope in another month or 2 it will be ok beer.

I don't know your experience level but if you are a noobie like me the experience will be worth the time. I've made a total of 6 batches so far and all six have been varying degrees of disaster. This is probably why I suggested using the kit if you have a lot of brews under your belt then by all means toss it. But if you can use it as a training tool why spend money? If you understand it will probably not be great beer and just an adventure go for it.
 
hmm so many conflicting viewpoints! I do wanna brew it really bad just because I want to brew and don't want to spend another 30 bucks right now. And you bring up a good point since there's no way I'll be able to resist at least opening the extract and smelling it. I might just brew it and bump this thread in 5 or 6 weeks to let everyone know how it went!

Please don't post the "Is my beer ruined" thread about this batch then when it is time to uncap and test the brew.
 
I'd say go for it, although the grains and hops are useless most likely.

I brewed a beer machine kit (canned, pre-hopped) that EXPIRED in 1997 a few weeks ago. It had been in my garage since receiving it in the 90s. It was a "light lager" but because of the age the LME had turned totally black, looks like a stout.

I bottled it a few days ago and it tasted perfectly normal, not at all like a lager but it was good. I don't know how it compares to the kits when they're fresh (don't use beer machine kits) but it's perfectly drinkable, I've got two cans left that I might brew now knowing how well this one did.
 
Please don't post the "Is my beer ruined" thread about this batch then when it is time to uncap and test the brew.

I'm going to start a new taste satans anus thread.........for $19.99 plus shipping you too can taste satans anus. Vomiting guaranteed or your money refunded.
 
I have enough "The Beer Machine" dry powder kits to make 15 gallons of beer.
Hence my interest in this thread.

I am going to brew it, question is not weather it will be good or not. IF not I'll bottle it and give it away. Some light beer drinker will no doubt like it. :fro:


My delima is should I boil it or just add water?
 
I have enough "The Beer Machine" dry powder kits to make 15 gallons of beer.
Hence my interest in this thread.

I am going to brew it, question is not weather it will be good or not. IF not I'll bottle it and give it away. Some light beer drinker will no doubt like it. :fro:


My delima is should I boil it or just add water?

add me as a veteran of Beer Machine and I think I still have 2 kits from somewhere that are 2 or so years old. I am waiting for my Primary2 to age my batch for 1.5 more week and then I will bottle it using my Primary1 as bottling bucket (first time using priming sugar, I've been using Coopers carbonation drops). I think I'll give BM kits a shot - I'll start my Midwest Bass clone in Primary2 for 3 weeks and at the same time do a BM in Primary1.

Can the people that do start another Beer Machine kit keep us updated with your progress? Killgore_Trout's results look promising, especially since my kits are only 2-3 years old.
 
hmm so many conflicting viewpoints! I do wanna brew it really bad just because I want to brew and don't want to spend another 30 bucks right now. And you bring up a good point since there's no way I'll be able to resist at least opening the extract and smelling it. I might just brew it and bump this thread in 5 or 6 weeks to let everyone know how it went!

I predict two cases of forcing swill down your throat in the not too distant future. Sure, you say if it is terrible you will pawn it off on your BMC dinking friends. Nah, that won't happen. BMC drinkers will hate thick syrupy molasses'y beers. It will stand out as tainted moreso to them than to a heavy malty beer drinker.

Also you think that its only a couple hours to brew and then a couple hours to bottle; that the time spent waiting doesn't count. Respectfully, BS! You will feel every hour spent waiting for that brew acutely. Everyone of us can remember how long that waiting period was. Imagine if the after all that time and anticipation it turned out like crap. You'll wish you had coughed up the thirty.

Old extract makes terrible beer. Period.
 
Update: I ended up trashing the kit...didn't brew it after I opened the lid of the LME and smelled like complete crap.
 
Update: I ended up trashing the kit...didn't brew it after I opened the lid of the LME and smelled like complete crap.

Excellent choice my man. It's not only the labor that goes into it, but the 1 to 3+ months waiting time. It would suck to wait that long and have Coors beat your brew in a taste test.
 
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