Old grains

[bigbeer]

Hi, I have a ton of old grains and I have a few questions. I found about 10lbs of crushed Marris otter that I think I got about 2 years ago. Wondering how defeated they will be and how it will affect the finished product. I'm also making a huge ris so I was thinking maybe I can do a party gyle and add those grains to the 2nd mash. Thoughts?

 

[IslandLizard]

First, taste the old grain. If stale, use for animal feed.

If it passes do a small test mash with a pound and see how it performs. Taste the wort. If good, mash the rest, and add your test mash right before the end.

Her DP maybe a bit lower, depending on storage conditions. But 10# is not much for a RIS. If you mix fresh grains in, your DP is likely going to be fine to convert it all.

I've used malt that was at least 3-5 years old, and just as good as fresh. Stored cool and dry.

 

[bigbeer]

First, taste the old grain. If stale, use for animal feed.

If it passes do a small test mash with a pound and see how it performs. Taste the wort. If good, mash the rest, and add your test mash right before the end.

Her DP maybe a bit lower, depending on storage conditions. But 10# is not much for a RIS. If you mix fresh grains in, your DP is likely going to be fine to convert it all.

I've used malt that was at least 3-5 years old, and just as good as fresh. Stored cool and dry.

That's what I was thinking. Total grain bill for the RIS is 43# (new grain) so I was thinking of adding that 10# into the spent grains and adding to the 2bd gyle.

 

[IslandLizard]

That's what I was thinking. Total grain bill for the RIS is 43# (new grain) so I was thinking of adding that 10# into the spent grains and adding to the 2bd gyle.

I was hinting at adding it to your 33# of RIS grist. Easier to "hide" and there's plenty of surplus DP to convert fully, if the DP has dropped off.

 

[italarican]

First, taste the old grain. If stale, use for animal feed.

If it passes do a small test mash with a pound and see how it performs. Taste the wort. If good, mash the rest, and add your test mash right before the end.

Her DP maybe a bit lower, depending on storage conditions. But 10# is not much for a RIS. If you mix fresh grains in, your DP is likely going to be fine to convert it all.

I've used malt that was at least 3-5 years old, and just as good as fresh. Stored cool and dry.

I'm on board with this. The beer I've received the most raves for included about 20% of 2-year-old pre-crushed specialty grains. Did a pre-test, tasted fine, and sure as hell worked in the beer. The grains had been stored in ziploc bags but at the bottom of a large brewing bag (unexposed to light) in a closet.

 

[bigbeer]

Awesome thanks guys. Will add to RIS grist

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

I just brewed an IPA I named stale pale ale. The grains were nearly 3 years old (milled at purchase), stored in the attic because we moved and it was in a box. 2 years later I brewed with it (dec 2016).

Yeast was an old Wyeast 1056. Also 2 years old kept in fridge. It took 1 solid week to get any action in the starter (on a stir plate).
I bought bulk hop pellets from feshops.com in December of 2012. Kept sealed an in freezer. The beer tastes awesome.

 

[Thorsbrew]

Wow this long surpasses the storage times i've read about since starting brewing.

Guess this means my grains stored in airtight/light tight buckets with gamma seal lids in my keezer at 36f should last a long ass time.

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

It was an experiment I was doing just to see the results. I actually found some older grain after I brewed this batch. But it was all sealed in thick bags (not vacuum sealed). But I have had zero problems.

The only problem I ended with was that I over carbonated the final bottled beer. But it still tastes awesome.

 

[max384]

My guess is several year old pre-milled grains will work just fine most times, but if you were to make two side by side batches, one with old grain, one with fresh, I'm betting you could tell the difference.

If it were me, I'd probably toss pre-milled grain. If it were unmilled, I'd definitely brew with it.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Isn't most "fresh grain" technically old?
Grown and malted from last years growing season.
If one can't decipher the codes on the big bags, who knows.