andylegate
Well-Known Member
Okay guys, got a good one for ya here.
A friend of mine at work knows that I started to do some extract brewing. She's heard me talk about how it's not too hard, and how my first batch came out pretty good, and how I've now got different batches fermenting right now.
Well she brings me this brew kit and wanted to know if I could do anything with it. It was a gift to her brother who sat on it for quite awhile, and then he gave it to her, where she threw it in the closet for a while.
My first thought was that the ingredients would be expired, and then I thought about that. Does DME's have and expiration time? I knew the yest would, and sure enough, it has the date of 5/2004 stamped on it. It's Windsor Canadian Dry Yeast.
I've got extra packets of yeast, so no problem there, but what about the rest of the stuff. Let me describe it to you (and it will mostly make you laugh, I know I did when I saw the stuff):
1 oz of Hops pellets. No name, no Alpha given. But the pellets are intact and have the same color as Saaz.
1 package of Light DME. Still sealed, but is as hard as a dirt clod!
1 package of Amber DME. Still sealed, but is as hard as a Sugar Daddy!
4 oz of Dextrose Corn Sugar, still sealed and feels fine.
1 small package labled "Gelatin" ----- Gelatin? Hey! Let's make Beer Flavored Jello!
I know the Gelatin has a use, but I'll have to go back and read what for.
Here is my thought: I'm thinking I can rehydrate the DME's to where they can be used. But what about the hops? I've got some extra Saaz hops that I can use, but since the kit didn't cost me a dime, I was thinking of amusing myself by trying to put this beer together (NO idea what it is, everything was moved to a no discript carboard box!). If it comes out bad, hey I'm just out a packet of yeast, no biggie. But what if it comes out good?
While I'm firm in using one of my packetts of yeast, I am curious. Is it possible to bring back the yeast past that date?
A friend of mine at work knows that I started to do some extract brewing. She's heard me talk about how it's not too hard, and how my first batch came out pretty good, and how I've now got different batches fermenting right now.
Well she brings me this brew kit and wanted to know if I could do anything with it. It was a gift to her brother who sat on it for quite awhile, and then he gave it to her, where she threw it in the closet for a while.
My first thought was that the ingredients would be expired, and then I thought about that. Does DME's have and expiration time? I knew the yest would, and sure enough, it has the date of 5/2004 stamped on it. It's Windsor Canadian Dry Yeast.
I've got extra packets of yeast, so no problem there, but what about the rest of the stuff. Let me describe it to you (and it will mostly make you laugh, I know I did when I saw the stuff):
1 oz of Hops pellets. No name, no Alpha given. But the pellets are intact and have the same color as Saaz.
1 package of Light DME. Still sealed, but is as hard as a dirt clod!
1 package of Amber DME. Still sealed, but is as hard as a Sugar Daddy!
4 oz of Dextrose Corn Sugar, still sealed and feels fine.
1 small package labled "Gelatin" ----- Gelatin? Hey! Let's make Beer Flavored Jello!
I know the Gelatin has a use, but I'll have to go back and read what for.
Here is my thought: I'm thinking I can rehydrate the DME's to where they can be used. But what about the hops? I've got some extra Saaz hops that I can use, but since the kit didn't cost me a dime, I was thinking of amusing myself by trying to put this beer together (NO idea what it is, everything was moved to a no discript carboard box!). If it comes out bad, hey I'm just out a packet of yeast, no biggie. But what if it comes out good?
While I'm firm in using one of my packetts of yeast, I am curious. Is it possible to bring back the yeast past that date?
