Storing Grain

[Garmoni]

Looking for guidelines on how long you can store grain after it has been crushed. Would it be ok for a few weeks or do you need to use it right away?

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Im not sure how long but you'll be fine. I think its better not to mill until your ready to mash in but I'd be lying if I said I always did that. Bag it up airtight and keep it somewhere cool/dry if you can though.

 

[alphaomega]

@Garmoni: If you'd searched the forum you'd found a wealth of threads answering the same question.
That said, a couple of weeks should be fine. Store cool and airtight if possible.

 

[kombat]

The longest I've gone between milling and mashing was overnight. That said, if they're stored somewhere cool, dry, and airtight, they could be fine for longer. Think of it like crackers - if someone leaves a box of crackers wide open, how long does it take for the crackers to lose their crunch and turn stale? How much longer do they last when you roll the bag shut and close the lid? Same idea.

 

[alphaomega]

@kombat: Funny. I usually compare it to coffee. Grounds vs beans.

 

[Aristotelian]

The longest I've gone between milling and mashing was overnight. That said, if they're stored somewhere cool, dry, and airtight, they could be fine for longer. Think of it like crackers - if someone leaves a box of crackers wide open, how long does it take for the crackers to lose their crunch and turn stale? How much longer do they last when you roll the bag shut and close the lid? Same idea.

That's not exactly a correct analogy. The question would be whether you could tell the difference between fresh and stale crackers after they have been cooked in water at various temperatures for two hours and then fermented. I don't have the most sensitive palate in the world, but I have used 6 month old crushed grains with no noticeable difference.

 

[kh54s10]

I would recommend - using them ASAP in general.
If you can't use them right away, it depends on how you store them for how long they will keep.
If you have a vacuum sealer, and keep them cool or in the freezer they should last a very long time.
In a Ziploc bag on a counter much less long....

I did a couple of kits then started making recipes. So I was buying by the pound, 5 pounds, 10 pounds and 50 pound sacks. This required milling my own so I asked for a Corona style mill for Christmas. I have been using it for about 4 1/2 years. I want a roller mill but cannot justify the expense thus far....

 

[alphaomega]

@Aristotelian: You have a valid point, but I'd say it depends on the beer as well. If brewing a DIPA somewhat stale malt is probably less of an issue than in a pilsner.