How long will milled grain stay fresh?

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Bruinpilot

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I am now planning my 4th batch of beer and it has brought me to a question of grain freshness. Due to my busy schedule this month, it doesn't look like I can make it to the homebrew store on brew day. I will have to go a few days prior. I don't own a mill, so my store kindly mills the grain for me and it is ready to mash. Will it effect the flavor of my beer if I allow the milled grain to sit for several days? One of the great things about homebrew is the freshness of it. So, if this will make my beer a little stale, I would rather just put off this next batch until next month. Thanks for the opinions!


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If it were more than a couple weeks, I'd be concerned. A few days, though? That won't make a noticeable difference.

Just keep it in a cool, dry place if possible and you should be good to go :mug:
 
A few days is fine. Try to keep it in an air-tight container if possible.

I wouldn't let it go more than a few weeks though, as jambo mentioned.
 
As long as its cool and dry, it will stay good for months. I used to get pre-crushed sacks of grain from Defiant Brewing and Neill said not to worry, it'll keep for at least 3 months no problem, and it wasn't.
 
I don't think it will affect the taste of the beer at all. I do that all the time. My LHB store puts the milled grain in a pretty heavy-duty clear plastic sack tied with a twist-tie.
 
I once used milled grains in a partial mash 6 months after they were ground, without any noticeable staleness. They were double ziplocked and stored in the freezer.
Otherwise I have gone a month with milled grain stored in ziplocks in sealed containers. These have been AG batches and no problems noted.
 
I've gone a month or two with milled grains kept in their bags & stored in a sealed bucket. Most of the time,the crush isn't all that great,so I crush'em again on brew day. In conjunction with the dunk sparge,my OG's are always higher than the recipe.
 
I had some arrive crush from oneline yesterday. The best before is 9 months after crushing. If you store them dry, cool and low oxygen then I can see them meeting this spec. If you stored them in the presence of moisture and warm, I don't think they would last more than a few days.
 
As long as its cool and dry, it will stay good for months. I used to get pre-crushed sacks of grain from Defiant Brewing and Neill said not to worry, it'll keep for at least 3 months no problem, and it wasn't.

I would agree with this however I would add that you should keep it in sealed containers. I keep my steeping grain in zip-lock bags with the air squeezed out, and then in a Tupperware container. Room temp storage. Never gone 3 months, but should be ok.
 
anecdotes are fun & all, but wondering if anyone has any science behind this? With coffee, for example, it's pretty well known that freshness of grind is important. logically that should apply to barley & pretty much any other grain too, does it not?
 
anecdotes are fun & all, but wondering if anyone has any science behind this? With coffee, for example, it's pretty well known that freshness of grind is important. logically that should apply to barley & pretty much any other grain too, does it not?

You make an excellent point. Most of the sources I've found say that milled grains are probably at their peak for 2-4 weeks after milling. (The shorter time is probably the safer bet.) If you have a mill you can grind the grain on brew-day. If not, I'd suggest you have the grain ground as close to brew day as possible.
 
Most bakeries are buying flour, not grain, so I don't agree with the coffee metaphor.

Besides, it has been stated on here by Malfet that a Briess maltster said crushed grain can last about as long as uncrushed provided it's stored in proper conditions.
 
bakeries != breweries. Nor are they coffee shops. Metaphors in general don't apply, I agree. also agree proper conditions are key. Would be hesitant to buy pre-milled grains where I didn't know the conditions they are stored, or how long ago they were milled.
 
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