Old base malt

prieff · Post by **prieff** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 9:32 am

Hey all,

I have read lots about how long base malt stays fresh enough to use but wanted some real world thoughts.

Brewing tomorrow and I still have 2-row and pilsner left over from the club buy last easter.

Typical wisdom is about 12 months for base and 2 years for specialty ...given they are not milled.

This would be the oldest malt I have ever used. Anyone noticed any problems with using year old malt?

Thanks!

and btw.... Tom, if there is a way I can find you this weekend I can pay my club dues.

Paul

Steven P · Post by **Steven P** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 9:45 am

I still have a bit of base malt left over from last year's club buy, maybe 5-10 lb. It has been in sealed buckets in a cool basement so I'm not worried about using it at all.

Matt F · Post by **Matt F** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 9:46 am

I have used malt over three years old before and won a brew contest with the beer. It was an IPA so the hop profile was the dominant flavor. I have heard of losing some efficiency but I have not noticed that. The key is how it is stored. I keep all my grain in the original sack in plastic bins that are not air tight. Mainly just want to keep any mice that get into the house from eating all my grain. Grain is in my brew room in the basement which rarley gets over 70F unless it is a brew session. I always taste some grain before I use it. If it tastes OK go for it. None of my grain is crushed until brew day or the night before.

DrPaulsen · Post by **DrPaulsen** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 10:55 am

I, like Matt, routinely use grain that is 3+ years old. I store the bags in very large rubbermaid bins (3 bags fit in each bin) that are not air tight, but will keep out critters and contain the grain dust. I check for bugs and taste the grain each time. One batch of grain that was stored loosely in an old grocery bag got really soft and tasted off, so I had to pitch it. Otherwise, I've not had grain spoil.

On Thu, Mar 28, 2013 at 10:46 AM, Matt F <brew-tech@crbeernuts.org (brew-tech@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:

I have used malt over three years old before and won a brew contest with the beer. It was an IPA so the hop profile was the dominant flavor. I have heard of losing some efficiency but I have not noticed that. The key is how it is stored. I keep all my grain in the original sack in plastic bins that are not air tight. Mainly just want to keep any mice that get into the house from eating all my grain. Grain is in my brew room in the basement which rarley gets over 70F unless it is a brew session. I always taste some grain before I use it. If it tastes OK go for it. None of my grain is crushed until brew day or the night before.

Matt Franklin
Slappy Brewing North

On Tap:
Hefeweizen
Funk You Very Much Belgian Sour
Club RIS w/Coffee
Bourbon Barrel Aged Up in Smoke Imperial Porter

Ferementing/Aging:
Paddler's Pale Ale
Flanders Brown Ale/Oud Bruin
Concecration Clone

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Steven P · Post by **Steven P** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 11:07 am

Paul, you can pay club dues via Dwolla now too. There's a link in the minutes forum.

-MG- · Post by **-MG-** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 11:11 am

I agree with what has been said. I believe as long as you store it in a cool dry place in some sort of sealed container. To me, that doesn't exclude the bag itself. They have a good set of lining in them and I have a bag still left over from last years buy and I just opened it and tasted it and I couldn't taste any difference in the grain.

However, if you have buckets with lids its good to transfer it to those. If you head over to Hy-Vee bakery section, they will sell you food grade buckets they have from their suppliers for $1 each with a lid (they mostly have 3 gallon ones).

bf514921 · Post by **bf514921** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 7:17 pm

i have used grain 3 years old, no problem, i keep in original bag, with rubber made container, not airtight. i taste it befor i brew, if it taste fine i used it, if not, its gone.