Old kit ingredient usage

[stosh]

I bought some equipment recently and the seller threw in an extract kit I think is around 8 years old based on the yeast expiration date.

What can I still use and what needs to be replaced to brew the kit? It's a low gravity amber kit.

DME is unopened and solid as a brick
LME is in a can no dents or exp date
Nottingham dry yeast (exp 2010) one pack
Crushed grains are unopened
2 ounces of Willamette hops (vacuum packed) unopened

 

[STMF]

I would do the kit for fun "as is" just to try it out. I would not use any of the stuff for something I expect to be good. I would probably use another yeast pack as a backup.

 

[BigJoeBrew]

I would agree with STMF, give it a go, but don't have high expectations, maybe it'll turn out just fine. Report back if you do give it a go.

 

[Calder]

You can give it a try, but I suspect you will end up regretting it; even if the yeast gets going. If the end product is bad, how much time are you willing to invest; it is a gamble.

You can still use the DME. provided there is no mold, it will be OK. Any small amount of moisture will turn it into a brick. It is basically sugar, so should have no issues.

LME ...... probably OK. I have a 10 year old can that I keep saying I should use, but end up thinking it could ruin any batch I add it too, so it just keeps on getting older. If you make starters, use it for that, rather than a beer.

Hops - toss. Even if kept in freezer they would be questionable after 8 years. At room temps, they are done!.

Yeast - toss. If kept in fridge, it would probably be OK, as dry yeast keeps well, but at room temp after 8 years!!! If anything is alive, it will be a severely under-pitch.

Crushed grains, may be OK since they are still sealed. I expect they will still have most of their flavor. But unless I had nothing else to use, I wouldn't risk a brew using them.

 

[nrjones89]

I would toss hops and yeast and use LME to make starter wort. DME will be usable. If you decide to use the LME for brewing, you may find a large degree of unfermentables in your beer or a soapy flavor.

 

[stosh]

I pulled the trigger and brewed it up last night.
I replaced the yeast and hops and got extra hops to tinker with.
Grains looked/smelled fine
I don't expect much out of it. I'm going to dry hop it just to see what happens

 

[CJ-3]

I recently did a batch with 2.5 year old ingredients and it is currently carbing in the bottle. Like you I replaced the yeast and the hops with new.
Aside from it being considerably darker due to the age of the LME it still tasted good when I sampled it.

 

[ChrystieBrewing]

Would love to hear how it turns out op. Uncle just gave me all his old equipment which included several carboys and some kits that were best buy 2011. They are lme. Just chuck them?

 

[TGFV]

I've used a 4yo can of LME and let me tell you, it was pretty horrid. Tasted like molasses and sweet death. Only batch I have ever considered throwing out, but it turned out to be amazing in stew and chili for cooking with so ended up keeping it for that purpose.

Like others have said, if the DME is mold free and properly sealed it should be fine and usable.

 

[alexnova]

I'm making a ESB from a kit that was about 2 months out of code. Turns out the date on the box was the date on the packet of S-04 yeast: the cans of extract still had a few months left. One packet of hops had oxidized, so I replaced with fresher stock. The bittering charge seemed OK, but I added a pinch of Magnum to make up for any age-related losses. I also cut the S-04 with 2g of S-05, and fermentation started up right away. Haven't checked the dry-hop charge yet, but the beer might not need it anyway.