First brew on the horizon

[markwarren66]

I am getting ready to do my first brew and had a question regarding storage of the extract kit. I purchased the Phat Tyre beer kit from Northern Brewer and it should be arriving in a day or two. I'm still waiting on a couple of my supplies to get delivered, so there is a chance I won't be able to brew this weekend like I hope to. Will I be OK if I stick the kit in the fridge until brew day? It would only be another week or 2 if I can't do it this weekend. Do I lose serious freshness in the process? I believe they crush the grains prior to shipping, if that matters.

Granted, it's my first brew so it won't be perfect. Just wondering if I'm sabotaging myself by not brewing the kit ASAP.

Thanks

 

[LouT]

If you have a nice DRY location with low humidity you may want to store it there vs. the fridge. Example - I have a "furnace room" in my basement, that stays pretty warm and very low humidity. Be sure to pull the yeast from the package, though, and put it into the fridge! I've stored crushed grains in that basement room for months with no problems, so 2 weeks or so is fine if you have a nice dry location.
Good luck with the brew! Do it when you can relax and not be in a rush...

 

[markwarren66]

Thanks - I'll put the yeast in the fridge and the grains in the basement. I don't have a furnace room (unfinished basement), but I do run a dehumidifier down there so it should be okay. Should I store the liquid extract in the fridge?

 

[Liquidicem]

The liquid extract should be fine anywhere and really doesn't need to go in the fridge.

 

[TheJadedDog]

I store my extract at room temp, my yeast and whole hops in the fridge, my pellet hops in the freezer, and my cracked grains in an airtight container with the air pumped out. The only real concern is the grains which start to lose something after about 2 weeks.

 

[PseudoChef]

I used a Northern Brewer kit with precrushed grains that was over 6 months old and it is a great beer. Don't worry!