Crushed grain

[richlong8020]

How long does crushed grain last in a zip lock bag in the fridge? A week? Two? Three? I bought a batch for the weekend but not sure if ill have time. I'd hate to lose the grain before using my kit.

 

[Dynachrome]

Sealed in a freezer - I'd say quite a while.

I ground grain a week ago and brewed with it tonight.

I stored it in a 5 gallon bucket with a weight sitting on the lid.

 

[atreid]

I've used "old" crushed grain stored in a closed home depot bucket as old as 5-6 months with excellent mash efficiency.... So your 3-4 weeks should not be a problem as long as you keep it in a cool low humidity environment... doesn't have to be a fridge if you don't have room for it...

Honestly I'm not sure the freezer is the best option. I'd be afraid crystals might denature the enzymes, but it might very well be fine...

 

[RM-MN]

Have you ever seen Quaker oatmeal in the grocery store? That's a crushed grain and they put it in a cardboard tube and set it on the shelf without chilling it and it can stay good for months. So can your crushed grain for brewing. Keep it moderately cool (none of this 90+ F storage, room temp would be fine) and reasonably dry and it will store for a long time. Yes, I know that second sentence is a run-on sentence but it was to get the point across.

 

[masskrug]

I've had grains sitting out (sealed) at room temperature for a month. The only things I cool are hops and yeast.

 

[atreid]

Have you ever seen Quaker oatmeal in the grocery store? That's a crushed grain and they put it in a cardboard tube and set it on the shelf without chilling it and it can stay good for months. So can your crushed grain for brewing. Keep it moderately cool (none of this 90+ F storage, room temp would be fine) and reasonably dry and it will store for a long time. Yes, I know that second sentence is a run-on sentence but it was to get the point across.

That's not really a good example since you're not really trying to optimize an enzymatic process using oatmeal.

 

[RM-MN]

That's not really a good example since you're not really trying to optimize an enzymatic process using oatmeal.

Maybe not but the main point is that crushed grains don't go bad overnight, it takes a lot more time than most people are led to believe. A couple weeks are nothing to get worried about. Even the maltsters claim that it takes months, not days for crushed grains to go bad.

Besides, nearly everyone has seen the Quaker oats. Very few have seen crushed malted barley. It's just to wake them up to the fact that grains are pretty tough.

 

[atreid]

Besides, nearly everyone has seen the Quaker oats. Very few have seen crushed malted barley. It's just to wake them up to the fact that grains are pretty tough.

I once saw crushed grain rip apart a taliban with its bare husk... True story...!

 

[unionrdr]

Oatmeal is rolled,not crushed. Not quite the same thing. but crushed grains have lasted just fine for me in the fridge. The larger amounts are in nice heavier plastic bags with zip ties,so straight onto the fridge shelf. The smaller amounts I've noticed midwest puts in tall skinny zip lock bags,so into a large zip lock freezer bag before going into the fridge. They stay fresh & dry this way for a month easy.
It gives me time to not only get ready for brew day,but bottle a previous batch to wash the yeast for the next batch. So grains,yeast,& LME in the fridge. DME,& other dry ingredients in a big bag on the pantry shelf.

 

[onthekeg]

Do you throw out the flour in the house each month? Grain will last a long time.

 

[unionrdr]

Oh yeah. But I like to think that the enzymes in the grains stay more viable when they're slowed down in the fridge. Kinda like cryogenics.