What do I do with VERY old beer?

[Tex N Oz]

I've been gifted about 300Ltrs of beer that's been sitting in a garage for 5 years. It was left-over (and forgotten about) from a wedding and apparently the beer has outlived the marriage..

These were all brand new sealed kegs and range from Becks to Tooheys New and everything in between.

I couldn't resist to give a keg a try and tapped a Tooheys expecting some horrible infected swill (more so than what it normally is). What I got was..... a fairly tasteless beer with almost no hop bittering and only slight hops flavour. Otherwise, it was just normal swill. It wasn't off at all.

I was thinking about brewing up a high gravity and dumping all of it together in a couple of port barrel with some lambic cultures.

Even though it's mostly shit beer, surely there's something I can do with it. Hate to just dump it.

 

[mxd]

Remember it's pasteurised so itshouldbe ok or as u described

 

[Pogierob]

why put make-up on a dead rat?

ditch it, fill the kegs with homebrew

move on in life, do you really want to be drinking 250lt of sit beer?

 

[adryargument]

Brew a heavy stout and mix a bit into each keg and ferment?
It has an alcohol base - just needs flavour... And less Australian lager tang. An ale yeast should fix that up.

:edit, throw a house party and charge $2 a pint. That's 600 smackaroonies. That's a new stroller for the missus + winky wink extras.

 

[Tex N Oz]

why put make-up on a dead rat?

Thanks mate..... I've just shown this to my SWMBO and said "Show cause..." I feel a bad case of "Lackonooki" coming on...
Look what you did...

ditch it, fill the kegs with homebrew

I've got enough legal kegs to start a stainless scrap yard. These are going back to a friends pub for the deposit credit...

move on in life, do you really want to be drinking 250lt of sit beer?

Noooo.. You're missing the point. I'm trying to be objective here. I have 300 ltrs of 4.3%, not rotten beer that perhaps I can do something creative with.
PLUS it's lost all of its hops bittering which is prime for some types of beer. Other than that, it's fine.
I'm not afraid the Craft Brew Fairy is going to slit my throat while I'm sleeping for crossing a line... My wife maybe..

 

[manticle]

Brew a heavy stout and mix a bit into each keg and ferment?
It has an alcohol base - just needs flavour... And less Australian lager tang. An ale yeast should fix that up.
:edit, throw a house party and charge $2 a pint. That's 600 smackaroonies. That's a new stroller for the missus + winky wink extras.

Why does his partner need a stroller? Surely she can walk/drive/run/crawl by now.

I think your idea is great tex. If you've got the space, you have nothing to lose by souring, dry hopping, barrel ageing, flavouring with fruit/spice and whatever else takes your fancy.

 

[Tex N Oz]

Why does his partner need a stroller? Surely she can walk/drive/run/crawl by now.

Or perhaps for me!! An upgrade from the shopping trolley?

 

[Brew Forky]

Remember it's pasteurised so itshouldbe ok or as u described

Kegs aren't pasteurised, hence their much shorter best before date compared to bottles and cans.

 

[manticle]

All kegs? Surely you jest?

 

[Tex N Oz]

Kegs aren't pasteurised, hence their much shorter best before date compared to bottles and cans.

All lagers that I know of are pasteurised. It's not pasteurised in the keg but the keg is sterilised by steam and the beer is sent through a pasteuriser on filling.

 

[Brew Forky]

All kegs? Surely you jest?

Not all kegs. I didn't mean it to be a sweeping statement.

 

[Brew Forky]

All lagers that I know of are pasteurised. It's not pasteurised in the keg but the keg is sterilised by steam and the beer is sent through a pasteuriser on filling.

It depends on your definition of pasteurisation. Filtering and dispensing ice cold to disable living organisms is quite effective.

 

[manticle]

The definition of pasteurisation is quite specific.

 

[Tex N Oz]

I know the evil 3 in the US all pasteurise for sake of economy and I'd imagine most Aussie lager is as well since most beer is delivered warm in kegs. It makes financial sense not to have to keep them under refrigeration and let the publicans pay for chilling. All I know for sure is 1 of 6 full untapped kegs of beer is not infected after 5 years of a warm garage. I've been told by a few in the industry that the rest will be the same. Modern kegged beer doesn't spoil, it just losses all flavour. It's very unusual as it's crystal clear and VERY pale from the first pour, tastes mildly of malt and slight hops with an alcohol finish. Nothing else at all. No off flavours or odours.
I'm determined to bring this beer back to life!!!!!!!!! I'll name it Frankenstein Sour. Made from the bits and pieces of a beer long deceased.

 

[motman]

If it was me, I think I'd brew an over the top IPA style beer to blend at say 10% in corny kegs or similar. Should add some bitterness and hop flavour to your beer flavoured mineral water

 

[slcmorro]

I have a never ending keg in my kegerator that all dregs (when I need another keg in a hurry) go into, called Falcor. Had some cracking blends through it.

Make yourself up something and blend away I say. Or, age in barrels once blended. What have you really got to lose? Best of luck!

 

[Tropico]

. I have 300 ltrs of 4.3%, not rotten beer that perhaps I can do something creative with.

Send it to New Zealand and get someone to put it in a still. 32 litre of vodka..... now that's creative.

Admin: please delete post if "S" word inappropriate.

 

[Tex N Oz]

Send it to New Zealand and get someone to put it in a still. 32 litre of vodka..... now that's creative.

Admin: please delete post if "S" word inappropriate.

OR I can save the $1500 shipping and buy 32 litres of vodka (does anyone really drink that stuff?) then do something creative with my awesome stash of vintage brew!!

 

[Spohaw]

Could make a reduction sauce with it , should get a fair few bottles out of 300 Ltrs

 

[Tex N Oz]

I have a never ending keg in my kegerator that all dregs (when I need another keg in a hurry) go into, called Falcor. Had some cracking blends through it.

Make yourself up something and blend away I say. Or, age in barrels once blended. What have you really got to lose? Best of luck!

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!! Creative and re-purposed!! I'm going to do the same and call it Franko..
Why waste what could be turned into something decent?