2.5 Year old grain and hops..

[nicowk]

So a house renovation and setting up a business and i've gone about two an a half years without brewing. Got all my equipment out of the cellar to clean and i've got several packs of unopened hops, and unopened bags of uncrushed grain.

What do we reckon, 2 and half years later are they still good? Or destined for the bin?

Nick

 

[Leon103]

Give it a blast so you get us3d to your equipment again

 

[Rodcx500z]

If it smells good I would have a go

 

[An Ankoù]

I agree with Rodcx, if they don't smell damp and musty then they'll be ok.

 

[MyQul]

Smell and taste the grain. If it tastes stale you might want to chuck it (although I've brewed with stale grain and it just took longer to condition. The beer tasted fine after a while).
I'd use the hops only for bittering. I normally buy nice fresh hops from CML but I bought some old hops very cheaply when I bought my last bag of grain. The resultant beer isnt very favourful

 

[Dave 666]

I've also some out of date grain & hops here due to a house move and work that I never got round to using. Certainly not as old as the op's but most is still several months to a few months out of date. So I might get back into all grain again next month when I have some annual leave and use the grain to practice with.

 

[MyQul]

I've also some out of date grain & hops here due to a house move and work that I never got round to using. Certainly not as old as the op's but most is still several months to a few months out of date. So I might get back into all grain again next month when I have some annual leave and use the grain to practice with.

I always buy a 25kg but it lasts me months and months. This because when I first get it, I split into zip lock bags for about 2kg each. They keep any moisture and oxygen at bay

 

[An Ankoù]

I always buy a 25kg but it lasts me months and months. This because when I first get it, I split into zip lock bags for about 2kg each. They keep any moisture and oxygen at bay

That sounds a bit of a faff. I put the whole lot, in its bag, in one of these:

 

[MyQul]

That sounds a bit of a faff. I put the whole lot, in its bag, in one of these:

Yes it's a bit of work but doing it keeps the milled grain fresh for months.

I have a 60L one of those too. I put the zip lock grain filled bags in it.

 

[Druncan]

@An Ankoù
Wow, looks good any links or product description/ID?

 

[MyQul]

@An Ankoù
Wow, looks good any links or product description/ID?

There's loads of em on Ebay and Amazon

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_....H0.X60L+barrel.TRS0&_nkw=60L+barrel&_sacat=0

 

[MickDundee]

I used an 18m old bag of crushed grain when I first started AG because it came with my equipment. Beer tasted fine.

 

[dwhite60]

Sealed hops shouldn't be a problem at all. Whole, uncrushed, grain should be fine too.

All you can really do is brew a batch with it and see what you get. I've used two-plus year old grain before. It converted fine and tasted fine.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[Dave 666]

There's loads of em on Ebay and Amazon

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_....H0.X60L+barrel.TRS0&_nkw=60L+barrel&_sacat=0

Dam you, I want I want I want. Though what's got my attention is that most are labelled as "kegs" and food grade. First thought was "keg" so can brew in bigger volumes then!. The missus would bloody kill me if I got 1 now with when I've spent on my hobby in the last few weeks. Still, wait till summer and I'll see.

 

[MyQul]

Dam you, I want I want I want. Though what's got my attention is that most are labelled as "kegs" and food grade. First thought was "keg" so can brew in bigger volumes then!. The missus would bloody kill me if I got 1 now with when I've spent on my hobby in the last few weeks. Still, wait till summer and I'll see.

I originally bought one so I could brew bigger volumes too. I first heard of them when a previous forumite said he was doing some work in a clients home and noticed the client was a homebrewer too. Apparently the client would make three kits up on one of them. I liked the idea so bought one. I never used it for bigger volumes though, I just store grain in it. You can just about get a 25kg sack in there

 

[Cheshire Cat]

When I worked for Heinz we stoked our spices in those barrels.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Stored

 

[user 18729]

Yes it's a bit of work but doing it keeps the milled grain fresh for months.

I have a 60L one of those too. I put the zip lock grain filled bags in it.

I’ve got a monster version (must be 100L plus) and fit two 25kg sacks of malt in there with room to spare

 

[MyQul]

View attachment 22480
View attachment 22479
I’ve got a monster version (must be 100L plus) and fit two 25kg sacks of malt in there with room to spare

Yeah, must be the 100L version as you'd never get 2x 25kg sacks of malt in the 60L version

Anyone following this, you can get a 30L version which you can use as a FV

 

[An Ankoù]

@An Ankoù
Wow, looks good any links or product description/ID?

They come in various sizes. Here's the link to the 60 litre one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plastic-St...G344B1G3CNE&psc=1&refRID=8YYESV07JG344B1G3CNE