Unhopped Malt Extract WAY after expiration date

[AbeLogan]

Ok, so I'm not planning to brew with this by any means, but I thought I'd post this just to see what I might expect.

I recently started home-brewing again after a 13 year hiatus. I use Mr Beer and I'm happy with it. (Say what you will; it's simple and I like it.)

When I pulled out the old kegs to start brewing again, I came across a REALLY old can of unhopped malt extract. It has a best-by date of October 2008 (lol) and the top and bottom of the can are slightly bulging.

As I said, there's no way I'm putting this into a batch of beer, but I'm wondering what might happen if I tried to open it. Would it burst? Or maybe have some alien monster growing inside of it?

I've never had any sort of canned product that was this far past the expiration date, and just thought it'd be interesting to see what the heck might be in this thing a decade after it should have been used.

 

[ancientmariner52]

Ok, so I'm not planning to brew with this by any means, but I thought I'd post this just to see what I might expect.

I recently started home-brewing again after a 13 year hiatus. I use Mr Beer and I'm happy with it. (Say what you will; it's simple and I like it.)

When I pulled out the old kegs to start brewing again, I came across a REALLY old can of unhopped malt extract. It has a best-by date of October 2008 (lol) and the top and bottom of the can are slightly bulging.

As I said, there's no way I'm putting this into a batch of beer, but I'm wondering what might happen if I tried to open it. Would it burst? Or maybe have some alien monster growing inside of it?

I've never had any sort of canned product that was this far past the expiration date, and just thought it'd be interesting to see what the heck might be in this thing a decade after it should have been used.

It takes pretty good pressure to bulge a steel can like that. If you must open it, poke a vent hole with a punch or screwdriver. Use a towel that you don't want anymore to divert the inevitable spew of ... G_d knows what. Definitely don't breath, ingest, or touch anything that comes out. I'd worry about botulin toxin. Kinda like natural nerve gas, I understand.

If it were mine, I'd wrap it in that towel I mentioned and drop it in a dumpster. On the other side of the county. Good luck!

 

[dmtaylor]

Full of botulin probably. Do the universe a favor and incinerate it.

 

[filthyastronaut]

Botulism is definitely a concern. Any bulging can is bad news regardless of the cause. Best to just dispose of it, the risk is not worth morbid curiosity.

 

[yourlastchance89]

Botulism is definitely a concern. Any bulging can is bad news regardless of the cause. Best to just dispose of it, the risk is not worth morbid curiosity.

This is true. Dispose of it. Not with the risk to expose yourself to the possibility of a detrimental toxin