Use By Date ?

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Alehouse

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Guys,

I came across an old Coopers Ale kit in my pantry. It has a use by date of late 2005.

No signs of blown can, all looks good and stored in moderate temps.

Reckon it'll be ok to brew up ? Or maybe Blow Up ??

Anyone know what the go is with out of date Coopers kits ?

Cheers,

Alehouse
 
In terms of food poisoning it should be fine. I once emailed coopers in regards to out of date kits and was given that advice. Obviously using your common sensory perception (ie smell it) will be common sensical.

You may find that it has darkened or gone stale and make sheizen beer (it may not) so using it is up to you. At the very least though, you should buy some new yeast.
 
For the 10-15 bucks it'll cost you to buy an in date can, I wouldn't waste my time with this one. The thing with kits is, the older they are the darker they get, the staler they get. I don't think the resulting beer would be worth the effort
 
Thanks guys,

I'm just such a cheap *******! :)

I might brew it up just as an experiment and report back.
 
:rolleyes: :eek:
Thanks guys,

I'm just such a cheap *******! :)

I might brew it up just as an experiment and report back.

Don't bother mate. I inherited a can from my brother which was dated 2006. I brewed it and the beer was shit. Undrinkable. You will make stale vinegar and get pissed off you wasted 2 hours prep time and a week fermenting.
When I say shit beer, I don't mean slightly off, I mean sour, funky and definitely not for drinking.
 
Why not? the only thing you would be wasting is water and yeast... Risk vs Reward! haha
 
I brewed a nut brown ale about the same date used a cheap yeast and currently drinking same..still alive..
 
wasted 2 hours prep time and a week fermenting.


:huh: 2 hours? WTF sort of shinnannigans go on at your place for it to take 2 hours for a kit brew
 
2 hours? WTF sort of shinnannigans go on at your place for it to take 2 hours for a kit brew

2 hours includes sanitising fermenter, mixing goo, clean up, cleaning 30 bottles, priming, botlting and cleanup. Also interspersed with changing nappies, making cups of tea for the boss and singing nursery ryhmes really badly
 
All that in 2 hrs eh ;)

Ok, here is a q for the experts. I know a stale can would have hops that yave degenerated and made crap in the can etc. What about cans of extract? Those have no added hops to go bad in them. Would aging them do any (what) harm?
 
Extract goes stale - it will darken over time (possibly some kind of oxidation - not sure) and that can affect flavour. I think the malt is possibly more subject to degradation in the absence of light than hops (which have preservative qualities) but don't quote me.
 
Hello Alehouse,

I have brewed several outta date kits, 2month, 2 years, ( i think 2 years was the oldest). I opened a tin the other day that exp in 1998!! yes...98.

My tip...dont brew outta date kits and do your very best to stay away from kits that are near being outta date. anything older than 1 year is a definite NO......why....it just isnt worth all the effort to brew and make ordinary beer that is oxidised and tastes tinny when you can make great beer for the same effort....and the beer is usually quite dark.

I guess if you were making a dark beer then these old kits might be okay-ish, but otherwise I say (thru several experiences)....give them a miss.

wont kill u tho (u just wont do it again)

Thanks guys,

I'm just such a cheap *******! :)

I might brew it up just as an experiment and report back.
 
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