Using up kit beers

[danbriant]

So I was sorting out the garage the other week and stumbled across some beer kits I had laying around before I moved over to all grain and a Grainfather.

They have expired well over a year ago. So the yeast will be shot to hell.

Anyway I was thinking of doing an experiment.

The kit I have is Festival Pilgrims Hope and it's described as:
Complex flavours of tropical fruit and pine needles in abundance, big and malty with perfect bitterness. Target and Summit Hops See - Rich Brown mahogany ale with tan coloured head. Aroma - Earthy aroma with a slight notes of pine sap and intense passion fruit. Makes 40 pints of approx 5% beer. New premium Festival beer kits. Including two pouches (3kg) of premium brewers grade liquid malt extract, hopped for bitterness and a 10g sachet of brewers yeast. They also include a sachet of hop pellets made up from appropriate mixed varieties of hops to create the right style of beer and also a measured pack of priming sugar. Includes additional brewing sugar to increase the ABV.

I was thinking of batch splitting.
Do 2 gallons with Brett WLP4623 or something along those lines and do another 2 gallons with normal neutral ale yeast.

Looking for ideas.

 

[RPh_Guy]

They have expired well over a year ago

Not just the yeast suffered. The malt and hops will be severely oxidized.

I'd throw them away. They're not going to make good beer.

 

[Kirkwooder]

The kits will make beer. It will likely be drinkable, slightly darker than it should be, and way less hoppy.

I would either brew it with fresh hops and yeast or use the malt for yeast starters.

Just my $.02

 

[danbriant]

I had a porter I brewed up that was over a year out of date and that was perfectly fine. Just used new yeast. Completed that one last week [emoji6]

Kits been kept in a cool garage. Malt packs not expanded.

The pale ale kit is either a year or less out of date.
Obviously the hops and yeast will not be good.

Only one way to find out and that's to make it up and taste it and then brew it.

Dry Hops wise I'm probs gonna go and use Citra and Cascade in equal amounts.

 

[Toxxyc]

I inherited some kit beers that were expired. Both closer to 2 years past the expiry date. I used them as is, including their yeast. One came out quite well. Was an enjoyable beer. The other one I used to water the brown spots on my lawn.

 

[RM-MN]

So the yeast will be shot to hell.

Maybe not. Dry yeast is very durable.

 

[mrpercussion80]

Those hops might be good to use for a lambic

 

[danbriant]

Those hops might be good to use for a lambic

Yup that's what I was thinking and possibly for wild yeast capture starters as well.