Crushed grain: how long can it sit?

[mhochman]

Hi,
I have two bags of crushed grain from September. They are not vacuum sealed, just tied loosely with twist ties. They have been sitting in a cool, dark basement. I wouldn't say our basement gets humid, but there definitely could be some moisture in the air from when our hot water heater leaked out.

For many reasons, I have been unable to brew. I'd like some opinions on if I should bother breeding with these grains. Since my brew time is obviously so limited, I'd hate to waste a brew session on ingredients that will not yield a quality brew.

Related question: the hop pellets that came with those kits have been sitting in the fridge since the same time. Think those are usable? I'd love to only have to replace the fermentables.

Thanks
M Hochman




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[Hello]

Hops in the fridge (try to keep them in the freezer) would be good still. Hops in the freezer last years, so I hear. Room temp, about 6 months I guess. Grains are iffy. I read all kinds of conflicting information to be honest. One person said taste them, see if they taste stale. Is this all grain or extract? I have some steeping grains that I'm about to use from early January. They were sealed in a bag with a vacuum sealer but the bag doesn't look air tight.

 

[mhochman]

All grain, so there'd be no fermentation help coming from anywhere else. Very worried about it.


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[wilserbrewer]

If the grain smells like grain and the hops smell like hops, I would brew! My guess is the ingredients will still make a fine beer.

 

[ianw58]

Old grain will not stop the wort from fermenting. Old grain will be stale.

The oils and fats in the grain will oxidize over time, giving the grain a stake aroma and flavor.

Taste the grain. If it doesn't taste old or stale, brew with it.

Don't overthink brewing. Relax. People have been turning out beer for thousands of years...

 

[mhochman]

I hope I can sense stale grains vs fresh grains. I realize I will still end up with beer, but with such limited time to brew, I feel more pressure for each batch to be good.


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