Using old LME

[CidahMastah]

Aside from color changes, will canned (aluminum) LME have off flavors if it is old? I have two cans of LME from a neighbor that is very old, he is not sure how old. Was trying to decide if it was worth using.

Thanks!!

 

[mxwrench]

ABSOLUTLY DO NOT USE IT, trust me on this, my roomate has used some older lme a few times that was only a few months past its best before date and every time it tastes terrible. It gives the beer a bad molasses and just plain "off" taste. If you do a little research on the topic you will see that LME must be fresh, I even heard a podcast with one of the main guys at Breiss Malting and thats also what he said, off flavors. Do not waste your time with old extract, please. The beer will taste awful..

 

[Revvy]

Other people have experienced no problems with using old extract. It's not going to hurt to try it.

 

[ChshreCat]

I truly believe that old LME is the culprit for people thinking LME causes "extract twang" flavor in their beer. If I were you, I might still use it, but wouldn't spend too much on that batch and be prepared if it doesn't come out quite right.

 

[CidahMastah]

Perhaps the route to go is, make a "scrapings mystery beer" and use my fresh LME today for the other batch. Basically use up my left over stuff and the old LME.

I hate to just toss it, I mean, canned goods last forever. However, maybe the best test subject isn't the beer that I want to turn out well.

I am thinking maybe I will brew a darker porter or stout type, which might help cover up funky flavors. I just won't expect much.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[Hammy71]

Use it to make starters. I have a jug of Wheat LME that's been in my fridge for over 2 years.....still make wheat starters with it.

 

[CidahMastah]

cool - thanks for the ideas. The cans of LME are random brand names too, they could be 20 years old. The brand names I have never seen before "john bull" and "american eagle". My 70 year old neighbor gave them to me.

 

[Dextersmom]

First post in a long long time....Recently I brewed my first batch in over a year. Father gave me an old kit of his that was so old the DME had solidified, LME had gone from extra light to dark. I figured what the hell, it'll be an experiment and it can't be that bad cuz all the packages were vacuum sealed. What I have fermenting right now looks to be a black pilsner. will definitely update when it finishes.