Old Cracked Grain

[thermo_47]

A mate of mine gave me some old brewing gear of his - included a few bags of grain from a few years ago (at least 2, not really sure how long) but they're already cracked... are they still any good?

They smell stale, and aren't real crunchy, but there's a few kilos all up of all sorts of different grains. The only thing stopping me from throwing them out is the thought that says "surely the sugars that I want to extract can't be gone?!"

Any thoughts? Maybe they'd gum up my mash? Appreciate any experience/advice.

Cheers, Jon

 

[mmmyummybeer]

Throw them out, they are not worth using.

 

[Pennywise]

A few weeks, yeah, no worries, stored right. A few years, forget it. Spend the few $$ a make better beer

 

[thermo_47]

Cool, will do...

I had just wondered at the science of it :huh:

 

[bum]

Slack grain (soft and chewy) will have lost some (possibly all?) of its diastatic power (ability to convert starches). The moisture taken up is also pretty good at promoting mould growth.

Not a terribly sciencey answer but should give you something to go on to look into it more if you're interested.

[EDIT: corrected typo and added uncertainty - also tried to add more parenthesis but couldn't (excluding the edit description (and this justification (etc)))]

 

[petesbrew]

The others are full of shit.
I've got the perfect recipe

2-3x out of date kits
old cracked grain
500g white sugar
t58 yeast
care factor = 0
Time = whatever

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

The others are full of shit.
I've got the perfect recipe

2-3x out of date kits
old cracked grain
500g white sugar
t58 yeast
care factor = 0
Time = whatever

Remind me not to drink your beer, PLEASE.
Nev

 

[bum]

Time = whatever

Surely you mean "Time = as fast as possible"?

 

[QldKev]

Surely you mean "Time = as fast as possible"?

and don't forget to ferment at a min of 26c


to the OP, chuck it as it will be shit by now.

 

[katzke]

Once the grain is cracked it starts to oxidize or go rancid. Malted grain goes off quick. Unmalted grain takes several times longer.

 

[HoppingMad]

Make sure all your grain is 'soft' and not crunchy before you chuck it, so take a sample from each bag to be sure.

I've had grains like crystal that seem to last a lot longer than many would suggest on this forum.
But I store everything in sealed bags in a dark dry spot.

I do agree with the overall sentiment here though - fresh is best. And uncracked grain will last way longer than cracked/crushed.

Hopper.

 

[mikec]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but it's related.

How long would uncracked grain typically last? Say in the storeroom, sealed as best as possible. My storeroom sits in the mid 20's.

 

[Arghonaut]

I found some grain this morning that has been cracked and vacuum sealed and forgotten about in the back of the fridge for about a year. The vacuum was still perfectly airtight and no air in the bag.

Smelt and tasted very fresh.








Still gave it to the chooks though!