Old grain

[Goblism]

What is everyone's experience with using old grain? I have ~125 lbs of grain I bought in 2017 and haven't had many opportunities to brew in the past 1.5 years. Some of the grain may be slightly older like 3-4 years old (if I bought a lb of a specialty malt and only used 6-8 oz I kept the remainder). Debating if I should simply dispose of the old grain (donate to my brother for cattle feed) or brew some beers.

 

[Jako]

What is everyone's experience with using old grain? I have ~125 lbs of grain I bought in 2017 and haven't had many opportunities to brew in the past 1.5 years. Some of the grain may be slightly older like 3-4 years old (if I bought a lb of a specialty malt and only used 6-8 oz I kept the remainder). Debating if I should simply dispose of the old grain (donate to my brother for cattle feed) or brew some beers.

make a funky/old style beer with it. like an old ale or a saison.. so if it taste like junk its to style that's a joke don't take me too seriously.

 

[Homergah]

I've used grain much older than that. No problems. It was merely an experiment that I didn't expect to turn out well. IIRC there was bit of efficiency issue, but no off/stale flavors.

 

[RM-MN]

2 test first before you use the grain:
1. Sniff test. If the grain smells old, stale, off, then discard it. Grain that is stored where it is dry isn't likely to have those scents.
2. Taste test. If the grain passes the sniff test, put a bit of it in your mouth and see how it tastes. If it passes both tests, use it.

 

[bleme]

I store my grain in air-tight buckets. When it get under 5 pounds, it gets bagged and added to the freezer. I know some of it was bought in 2016. Some in the freezer might be older. If it smells and tastes good, it is fine to brew with.

 

[kh54s10]

Agreed with the sniff and taste.... Most of my grains are older than yours and they are still making great beers.

 

[odie]

Whole grains? They will keep for years if stored properly. Cool, dry, dark, minimal air. I store in airtight buckets.

Smell and eat some. Nose and tongue will tell all.

 

[Goblism]

I have stored it in large totes and the smaller quantity stuff in zip lock/plastic bags. I actually have a brand new bag of marris otter! Most seem fine, will brew a batch or 2 and see what i end up with.