Hi all, doing some cleaning and found some 2 row grains that I must have misplaced at some point. I had them crushed when I bought them in December 2020 and I stored them in food saver bags with the air pulled out - room temp about 70-75. I have a strong feeling they are either stale or rancid (can they become rancid?). Should I just toss them or do you think there is a chance they might be decent after 10-11 months?
I would make dog treats out of them.
I’d say you have a decent chance they’re OK. But if there’s not much, I’d toss it just to be safe.
Cool thanks. Yeah I’d say it’s under 5 lbs
If they were stored vacuum sealed in a dry place, then at worst, the grains might be a touch on the stale side, but otherwise they should be perfectly fine to brew with. The caveat is if they have any mold on them. Give them a close inspection. If there’s any mold whatsoever, toss them.
It’s only a few pounds. Throw them away!
I just dumped two 1/2 gallon yeast slurries, because of age. Not going to take a chance with old ingredients.
I agree with those who suggest tossing them. As I understand, once the grains are milled they should be used in a couple days. A pound of grain costs under $2 from most HBS stores and in my opinion, $2 isn’t worth taking a chance.
Briess says their premilled grain is good for 2 years. I’ve gone 5 months with no problem. Of course, that assumes proper storage.
I’m in the get rid of them camp.
Why waste your time and energy using questionable ingredients?
Nah milled grains last a very long time if, as has already been said, they are stored properly, which mainly means keeping them in a dry place. I once used 2 year old milled grains, and the beer was fine.
But even if stored in a dry place, they could still get moldy due to moisture produced and brought in via pest infestation (e.g. the Sawtoothed grain beetle). So always a good idea to check old grains for mold and never to use them if any is seen.
I agree. Pre-milled grain lasts a long time. However, once it’s milled it should be used within a couple days.
I mill and mash grains within a few minutes of each other
Toss 'em.
Afraid I don’t understand…pre milled means its already milled. Briess says 2 years. My own experience with milled grain is that 5 months was fine.
Our household rule for any food or drink.
“If in doubt, throw it out”
Pre-milled is prior to milling. You are thinking of grains that are “pre-milled” at the HB supply before shipping. I have learned, and have always practiced, milling my grains within minutes of mashing to achieve maximum freshness.
No, I’m talking about the bags of pre milled grain that Briess sells to breweries.
Ah. The George Carlin definition of the prefix “pre”: https://youtu.be/wBo3-XnhXNM
I won’t speak for everyone else but I consider “pre”-milled to mean grains that are milled well in advance of use, and stored for some amount of time. This definition seems kind of self-evident from the context of this thread.
I’m afraid I’m still confused…the Briess grains are milled at the factory, bagged, and stored until they’re sold and used.
We always purchase bulk grain in whole form, not milled or crushed.
I am very picky about the crushing process, and want to do it myself.