What happens to old grain?

[gregmosu]

I purchased 40 lbs of cracked grain back in June, but never got a chance to brew w/it due to a back injury. It's been sealed in a bag, but not vacuum sealed. It's not likely I'll brew with it anytime soon, so I was going to give it away. The only problem is how long I've had it. I read that 2 months is about the max for grain once cracked. Is this grain no longer any good?

 

[atoughram]

Open it up and taste it - if it tastes stale, toss it.

If it's kept dry, I bet it tastes ok too.

 

[IslandLizard]

If it was stored rather cool, not in a hot garage, attic, etc., it should be fine, likely for over a year. Taste it and if it tastes stale feed it to the chickens.

I've some old milled malt that's at least five years old, not vacuum packed and it's still fine. It loses some diastatic power over time, so mix in some fresh.

 

[Jaybird]

You will easily be able to tell if its stale. Just taste it. If its stale feed it to the birds.
But chances are its just fine!

Cheers
Jay

 

[gregmosu]

Thanks for all the replies. Tasted it and it seems fine to me. A friend from homebrew club is coming over tomorrow to pick it up.

 

[Jaybird]

What a killer gift!

Cheers
Jay