Out Of Date Kits

[kuba]

Hi i just acquired several kits which have best before date ranging from 2008 - 2010. Will these still be alright? One of the kits is the brewcraft premium kit which has yeast, hops and malt all bb date 2008, would the yeast,hops or the malt be screwed?

Just wondering as id like to use em and its best before not expiry, just wondering if the yeasts will all be screwed; as i think they were stored in a shed for the past couple years.

Cheers

 

[thesunsettree]

Hi i just acquired several kits which have best before date ranging from 2008 - 2010. Will these still be alright? One of the kits is the brewcraft premium kit which has yeast, hops and malt all bb date 2008, would the yeast,hops or the malt be screwed?

Just wondering as id like to use em and its best before not expiry, just wondering if the yeasts will all be screwed; as i think they were stored in a shed for the past couple years.

Cheers

hi kuba,

the goo should be fine, when u open it up and it doesnt jump out and crash tackle u across the room i would go ahead and use it. i've used the odd can here and there that was out of date with no issues. prob toss the yeast tho it could be shagged but its usually worthwhile using a better yeast with ur brewing anyway

cheers
matt

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Tins should generally be fine, afterall, canned food can last years and years....But the yeast and hops would be shagged...especially the hops...

 

[kuba]

thanks all the info i needed, now i just gotta get temp control in order as we got a week of mid 30's here in perth and really wanna put some batches down 1st time ill be using hops and excited

 

[big78sam]

+1 to ditching the yeast. I had an old out of date kit that I used to test if I'd rid a fermenter of infection. I pitched 2 old yeast packets hoping I'd get enough viable cells from 2 packets. Fermentation had not started after 2 days so I had to pitch a us05.

 

[petesbrew]

I just brewed a couple of those kits, the yeast worked, but seemed to end up a few points higher than anticipated. I'll try the next with more fresher yeast.

 

[kuba]

Is there anything i can do with the old yeast? i think i remember reading to boil it in the wort and then it becomes nutrition for the pitching yeast??

I have my fermenter in the fridge atm trying to get the temp down to 24C so i can pitch the yeast. Ive had it ln the fridge for about 2hrs now should i pitch it or wait a little longer (currently 26C on the sticker thermomter so little hotter in the centre of the fermenter i assume)? Im using safal us 05 for a james squire amber ale, i know i run the risks of infection by waiting but what would you experts do? (the fridge has also chilled to its max thermostat has kicked in now its just the wort taking time to cool) so im thinking if i pitch now it should be cooling as the fridge has chilled to its max??

Should have chilled more water!!!

 

[thesunsettree]

Is there anything i can do with the old yeast? i think i remember reading to boil it in the wort and then it becomes nutrition for the pitching yeast??

I have my fermenter in the fridge atm trying to get the temp down to 24C so i can pitch the yeast. Ive had it ln the fridge for about 2hrs now should i pitch it or wait a little longer (currently 26C on the sticker thermomter so little hotter in the centre of the fermenter i assume)? Im using safal us 05 for a james squire amber ale, i know i run the risks of infection by waiting but what would you experts do? (the fridge has also chilled to its max thermostat has kicked in now its just the wort taking time to cool) so im thinking if i pitch now it should be cooling as the fridge has chilled to its max??

Should have chilled more water!!!

mate,

cant help u with the old yeast theory soz. but u could pitch the us05 at 26 without any probs, its a pretty hardy and flexible yeast. 26 will be fine. i have, in haste, pitched s04 when the strip thermo has been unreadable due to supposed high temps, i really wonder at the accuracy of these strips ( i have 2 fermenters and both strip thermos act the same). all theory says it should have killed the yeast but the end product was more than drinkable. i'm sure palated experts would find 'off' flavours, but that could be said for any number of brews i'm sure. i certainly dont recommend very high temp pitching but i'd bet my crackers 26deg will be ok

cheers
matt