Need Help with a Recipe

[jtucker101]

So I took a vacation from brewing for a while (mainly because I was too frustrated with everything I made). I recently took it back up and I'm upgrading my equipment so I can do all-grain.

While going through my stuff, I found a (still in the original, sealed packaging) kit for Homebrew Heaven's Brewnet Brown Ale. Here's a link:

Brewnet Brown Ale Recipe Kit from Homebrew Heaven

It's a partial mash recipe. Here's my problem. I know the specialty grains are probably stale. It's been sitting for almost 2 years (and the grains came pre-crushed). I'd like to go ahead and get a batch of brew going, so what would specialty grains should I order to replace what is in the recipe? I don't need it to be exactly the same as the kit, but I don't know enough about recipe formulation to know what to add to what I've got. Here is the ingredient list for the kit. Nothing is marked with measurements, but I weighed the packages and put the results in parenthesis after each ingredient:

1 Package of Amber Dry Malt Extract with Bittering hops (Northern Brewer) already mixed into the dry malt (4.92 pounds)

1 Package containing Base and Specialty Grains (2.187 pounds)

1 Package of Flavor hops (Willamette) with Clarifier Tablet(.75 oz)

1 Package of Finishing hops (Northern Brewer) (.75 oz)

1-2 Package(s) of Ale Yeast – 10g minimum

 

[944play]

Unless you like Dorito-flavored beer, you should chuck it all. Well, save the Whirlfloc tablet.

 

[jtucker101]

I'd read that as long as the DME was in an airtight bag and not clumpy, it would be okay. is this not the case?

 

[Edcculus]

Hmm thats tough. I was going to say that the DME is fine. If its pre-hopped, it might be stale. Does it smell or taste cheesy? If so, the hops have gone bad in the DME.

If its still good, you will have to replace everything else. Hops are easy. You know the variety. The weight should be on the package.

In the end, you might be better off replacing the kit. I'd suggest a partial mash from Austin Homebrew Supply or Northern Brewer.

 

[jtucker101]

not sure if it's cheesy, didn't open the package containing the DME. I did dump out the crushed grains as I noticed the bag had a hole in it.

unfortunately, nothing had weights on it, I had to weigh it on my kitchen scale.

oh, and as for saving just the whirlfloc tablet, it was packaged in with the hops.

like jim koch said...i'd rather put people in stale beer than stale beer in people.
think i'd better just count it as a loss and toss the whole thing. better safe than cheesy!