Do grains go stale?

[bryancohen]

Newbie to brewing here. Done about 10 batches of extract and wanted to move up to all grain. I bought all the ingredients a couple of weeks ago to do a maibock, but then didn't have time. The homebrew store cracked the grains for me and since then they have been in a closed bag in my fridge.

Do they go stale? If so, how long? Did I blow this one?


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[scottballz]

They should be good. Next time don't put them in the fridge though, could be too much humidity.

 

[m1k3]

Closed bag in the fridge sound good. Low humidity is more important than cool.

You are probably fine. But I'd avoid that long of a wait next time.

Edit: Do you mean a plastic bag or a paper bag?

 

[Qhrumphf]

If you want to go all-grain, you'll be better served with a mill. Uncrushed grains will keep substantially longer than crushed grains. Uncrushed grains can be good for more than a year if you store them properly. Crushed grains a few weeks to a couple months would be the top.

 

[bryancohen]

I meant plastic bag


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[bryancohen]

Thanks guys for the advice. I gotta put my foot to the floor and make this batch, it seems


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[GCPHomebrew]

If your serious about all grain go to a farm supply store and by a grain storage bin. All metal air tightish. I bought the 20gal just to return it a week later for the 50gal.


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[Qhrumphf]

I use airtight plastic pet food containers. The 40lb ones are perfect for a 55lb sack of grain.

 

[theonetrueruss]

I just use 5 gallon white buckets from HD with the cheapo sealed lids. Works well and they stack easily. Very cheap. you can get the nicer lids. The pet food containers look nice and I figure I will go to that at some point as they should be easier to open and hold a whole sack in 1 container.

 

[Setesh]

I use buckets with gamma seal lids. They work great.

 

[Thedutchtouch]

I use buckets with gamma seal lids. They work great.

Same here.

 

[DogboyBrew]

The bag my grains came in has a ziploc type seal at the top, I have them stored in a dry cabinet. What is the typical shelf life? I managed to get most of the air out when I sealed.

 

[wilserbrewer]

The bag my grains came in has a ziploc type seal at the top, I have them stored in a dry cabinet. What is the typical shelf life? I managed to get most of the air out when I sealed.

Rdwhahb, typical shelf life stored reasonably cool and dry would be a year, plus minus eight months.

I think you are likely fine.


Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[dbkdev]

I use buckets with gamma seal lids. They work great.

Plus minus eight months, thats a pretty big variance
; so it could last 4 months or over a year and a half.

Rdwhahb, typical shelf life stored reasonably cool and dry would be a year, plus minus eight months.

I think you are likely fine.


Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[JEnglish]

The bag my grains came in has a ziploc type seal at the top, I have them stored in a dry cabinet. What is the typical shelf life? I managed to get most of the air out when I sealed.

The shelf life is around a year if they are not milled and in a dry place. If they have been milled and are in a dry place, then I would use them within a few weeks. Making sure they are stored in a dry place is the most important thing.

 

[divrguy]

It's actually against the forum rules to have ingredients and NOT use them! Get brewing! Lol


Cheers!

 

[DogboyBrew]

The shelf life is around a year if they are not milled and in a dry place. If they have been milled and are in a dry place, then I would use them within a few weeks. Making sure they are stored in a dry place is the most important thing.

They are milled..Oh well looks like I'm forced to do something with them, the luck I have..

 

[mmb]

If one looks at survivalist blogs, whole grain, stored dry, air tight, and non accessible to vermin, will last for 10-20 years or longer. Unmilled grain, protected from humidity fluctuations will last for a long time. It may be a year before the unmalted grain even reaches the maltster, so how old the grain is before it becomes malt is anyone's guess.

Use your senses and taste the grain along will smelling it. Does it smell musty or "wrong?" Does it taste like Grape Nuts cereal or does it tasty stale or funky? If not, use it. If it does, well... feed it to the birds.

They should be good. Next time don't put them in the fridge though, could be too much humidity.

A refrigerator cools in the same process that an air conditioner works and actively removes humidity from the inside of the unit. There would be far lower humidity levels in a refrigerator than would be in the ambient temperature grain storage others are using here. Also, freezing the grain will kill any grain beetle eggs/weevils/whatever that are always present in grain.

 

[sikkingj]

Short answer, unmilled grains are good for about a year, milled grains for about 4-6 months. I have use them (both milled and unmilled) after the year date, but expect lower efficiencies and therefor use a bit more grain to "make the numbers".

As alwys, relax and have a homebrew....

-John


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