How Long Before Milled Grains Go Bad?

[jackers252]

I know this has been asked before but I can't find anything. I found a couple recipe kits that I haven't brewed. They are probably a little under a year old. These grain bills are pre-milled and still sealed in plastic. I know the yeast and hops will need replaced, but what about the grains?

Thanks

 

[BradleyBrew]

I think its case would be a little different a year out from being milled... how they are stored, moisture, bugs, etc. The only way would be to examine the grain and smell. If it still smells grainy is mold or anything weird free I say go for it. Maybe a few lbs of fresh(er) grain to the mix. The hops may be good if they are vacuumed sealed.

 

[kh54s10]

I would actually feel better using the hops and if making a starter and it goes off the yeast also. I would imagine the grains have lost all their goodness. If you do not want to totally waste them maybe you could add to them or just use them for bread etc.

 

[Varmintman]

You are fine as long as they were kept cool and dry. Most folks do not realize just how long grain will last or even how old their grain is that they have. I found a batch of grain that had been milled at least a year prior and most likely 2 years prior that had been stored in a paper grocery bag that was just fine.

I would not toss out a bag of flour that was a year old unless it had got wet why worry about a bag of course ground flour

 

[jackers252]

Thanks for the responses so far, keep them coming! These have been stored in my basement, which is cool and dry. They are in heat-sealed plastic bags. I wouldn't have as many reservations but these are imperial grain loads, upwards of 15-18 lbs of grains.

I might just give one a shot and see how it turns out. All the hops have been cryo-sealed and left in the back of my refrigerator. Think those are ok? I'm sure the yeast is shot, even though they are smack-packs. I was going to make a starter to just to see if it would take off, but figure it's probably not worth the hassle.

 

[orangemen5]

I've searched this question before when I was doing kits and couldn't get to brewing them right away. I came across a thread on here where the guy said he used grain crushed a year old just to use it up and ending up winning 1st place in a homebrew competition. Once I read that I stopped worrying about it. Grain last alot longer than most ppl think.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Kept cool, dry, and air-tight: A very long time.

My uncle used to grow barley up north and they often stored for 1-2 years (unmalted, unmilled) until the prices went up. No problems.

MC

 

[Carlscan26]

Unmalted and unmilled is a totally different story than what the OP is asking about.

 

[dracus]

Got all the stuff for a robust porter. Milled them....Long story short, didn't end up brewing it for over a year and half.

The brew was/is amazing. Drinking one of them as we speak. You'd never know anything was different. Grains were stored in a plastic bag I got at the LHBS with a twist tie. I was worried that my efficiency might suffer but it came out consistent with the recipe.

It came out so good, I want to brew it again with fresh milled grains and see how they compare.

Would I recommend keeping milled grains around, no however if it happens brew it. We used dry yeast so as to save a bit of money on the brew and had DME on hand in case it come out low on the SG. Maybe being a robust porter made it more forgiving I have no idea.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Unmalted and unmilled is a totally different story than what the OP is asking about.

Not so much different. Temperature, humidity and air will affect grains both milled and unmilled - milled, probably more so.

I'm still brewing with 2 year old milled grains stored in HD buckets with lids. And winning ribbons.

MC

 

[pjj2ba]

There are two parts to this question: will it convert, and will it taste good.

I've done the experiments and crushed malt (in my test, ground to a powder) will still convert after 2 yrs, but it takes a little while longer.

You are more likely to run into a problem with the ingredients tasting stale. This is the more important factor. If the grains still smell and taste good, then you should be all set.

 

[Carlscan26]

Kept cool, dry, and air-tight: A very long time.

My uncle used to grow barley up north and they often stored for 1-2 years (unmalted, unmilled) until the prices went up. No problems.

Not so much different. Temperature, humidity and air will affect grains both milled and unmilled - milled, probably more so.

I'm still brewing with 2 year old milled grains stored in HD buckets with lids. And winning ribbons.

MC

My point was that comparing grain storage that your uncle is doing vs what the OP was asking about is not the same because the conditions of the grain are very different: an unprocessed grain has it's shell in as close to perfect condition as it's going to get. A malted and milled grain has been partially germinated and stopped and then had it's shell opened. These will be much more susceptible to humidity and therefore much less likely to store as well as unmilled grain, and both of those will be less stable than wholly unprocessed grain.

All that being said, if stored properly, year old milled grain can be great to brew with.

 

[jackers252]

Update: I brewed a batch that was probably less than a year old and it came out great. I probably could have used the hops since they were cryo-sealed. When I opened the hop bags, they smelled fresh as can be.

I also brewed an imperial oktoberfest that has been lagering since late June. I'll keg that one in a few weeks.

I used starters on both and the yeast took right off. The imperial oktoberfest had a violent fermentation. We'll see how it turns out.

I had no problems converting the sugars and wouldn't have a problem brewing more with old grains as long as they stayed in the sealed bags.

 

[outside92129]

Just don't try to store conditioned milled grains!