Coming back after a 5 year Break.... Advice needed on old stock/equipment

[dhendy91]

Hello from sunny Berkshire

I have been active on this forum before but as with everyone life got in the way for a bit so I took a bit of extended break from home brewing. All my home brew equipment/ingredients has been kept in an external garage all this time so I just wanted some advice on what needs to go and what can probably just be cleaned and sanitised. My initial thoughts are below but if anyone can offer advice I would appreciate it.

1. I presume all my fermenters and actual brewing equipment will just need a good clean and then a thorough sterilisation? I still have an almost full bottle of star stan from back in the day so will use that for sterilisation but what would people recommend for cleaning off any mould/grubbiness before I sterilise.
   
2. Yeast/Crushed Grain/Hops- Anything open I will be throwing, but if anything is unopened can I still use it? The used by dates on pretty much all of it is 2016.
3. Beer kits, I have a couple of 2 can kits in there? Would I be able to just buy some new yeast for them and use them as normal or is not recommended to use kits this far past their best before date? I kinda figure I have nothing to lose but just want to check.

Glad to see this forum is still going after 5 years as it was immensely helpful when I started. My plan is once I have cleaned everything to start with a couple of Kits for which I will be investing in a Corny system and then once I have a stock start up with the all grain again :)

Also any extra advice people want to add would be appreciated

 

[terrym]

Hello from sunny Berkshire

I have been active on this forum before but as with everyone life got in the way for a bit so I took a bit of extended break from home brewing. All my home brew equipment/ingredients has been kept in an external garage all this time so I just wanted some advice on what needs to go and what can probably just be cleaned and sanitised. My initial thoughts are below but if anyone can offer advice I would appreciate it.

1. I presume all my fermenters and actual brewing equipment will just need a good clean and then a thorough sterilisation? I still have an almost full bottle of star stan from back in the day so will use that for sterilisation but what would people recommend for cleaning off any mould/grubbiness before I sterilise.
   
2. Yeast/Crushed Grain/Hops- Anything open I will be throwing, but if anything is unopened can I still use it? The used by dates on pretty much all of it is 2016.
3. Beer kits, I have a couple of 2 can kits in there? Would I be able to just buy some new yeast for them and use them as normal or is not recommended to use kits this far past their best before date? I kinda figure I have nothing to lose but just want to check.

Glad to see this forum is still going after 5 years as it was immensely helpful when I started. My plan is once I have cleaned everything to start with a couple of Kits for which I will be investing in a Corny system and then once I have a stock start up with the all grain again :)

Also any extra advice people want to add would be appreciated

Welcome back
1. I would certainly give everything the best going over you can achieve. And soak what you can in VWP or the like. Anything with mould growing might be better replaced.
2. I would chuck anything thats already opened. If you have a composter give the worms a treat. But anything sealed I would use. You will know the result when you finally get to drink it.
3. LME in kits ages, and maybe darkens, and I for one believe that old LME is the source of the twang. So replace the yeast and have a go and everything may turn out fine, but I would not be spending a great deal on extras in case it they turn out rubbish. And Crossmyloof Brewery sell a variety of cheap replacement yeasts and there is also a forum discount .

 

[kelper]

If the cans are not dented on a seam or rusty, they will be fine, but the yeast will be a bit tired. Give the grain a sniff and dump it if it smells off in any way. Bleach or oxy-cleaners are good at loosening 'soil'. Just soak overnight. Don't use chlorine based products on stainless steel as it attacks the passive layer.

 

[dwhite60]

I agree with the two posters above.

If the grain is uncrushed I would brew up a gallon and see what the results are. You will probably be surprised.

I've used four year old dry yeast with no problems.

Make the kits. If the are two can kits make one can and see what you get. Bet they are fine. Making one can I bet the yeast with the kit will be enough so you're not spending extra money buying new on a possibly bad beer.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[dhendy91]

Thanks very much for all the advice guys! Spent most of the weekend with the VWP and starsan out. Also spent a while sorting through the old inventory throwing out anything that was open ( at this point it's been 5 years in a damp garage). Also made it back to the local HBS and picked up a bulldog IPA kit + two beverdale wine kits.

Got the Bulldog kit on tonight. Going to put a Lashings Ginger beer kit that was in my stock on tomorrow and then going to get the wine kits on come Tuesday. Then next on the list will be finding the right fridge/freezer for my Kegerorator/Keezer...... Once that is done I'm ready to return back to that world of All Grain

Man it's good to be back :)