Old Malt ?

[Blue-Frog]

I have some old malt fairly well stored(?) at moderate room temp.
I do not brew that often and I want to use up what I have before buying new stock. How old on the far side can one go? How will I know when it is no longer ok and MUST (not should) be replaced?

How old was the oldest base malt you have used and did it turn out OK?

 

[triethylborane]

Used some 2row that was three years old. Wasn't milled, stored at 54-64f temp range year round, air tight container. Relative humidity here is always quite dry so that could be a factor. Brewed an IPA with it and tasted fantastic.

 

[MaryB]

From the people who know, Breiss

"Malt: Store in a temperate, low humidity, pest free environment at temperatures of <90 ºF. Improperly stored malts are prone to loss of freshness and flavor. Whole Kernel Diastatic and Preground Malts are best when used within 6 months from date of manufacture. Whole Kernel Roasted Malts may begin experiencing a slight flavor loss after 18 months.

Keep in mind that moisture is dry malt&#8217;s worst enemy. Always store bags of malt in low humidity, or store and seal them in plastic bags if you live in a humid climate. Freezing dry malt will not harm the kernels, but we do not recommend it due mainly to condensation forming after it thaws. Malt that undergoes freeze/dry cycles will actually decrease in moisture. In addition, we do not recommend storing malt outdoors, even in moisture resistant containers.

Treat your malt with TLC and you&#8217;ll greatly extend its shelf life. Deeply roasted malts have extremely long shelf lives when properly stored."

I used some year old 2 row a couple months ago, couldn't taste a difference, brew house efficiency was the same.

 

[65C]

I've not made beer with old malt yet - but I've baked bread with 4+ year old flour and it's been same as fresh flour

unless it's obviously spoiled I really don't see how it can make +/- 5% diff to a brew - even if it's got a little stale smell I'm sure a few extra bittering hops will sort it out - I really wouldn't hesitate to use it

I read someone one here saying degrades after 2 months if crushed - I'm just not buying that

 

[ericbw]

People are always saying stuff like that. Throw out yeast after 2 weeks, etc. Whatever.