"Old" grains - any experience?

[Kealia]

I picked up and crushed grains for my RCE brew on October 21st and didn't get a chance to brew either of the past two weekends. I'm planning on using them this weekend but thought I'd ask if anybody has any actual experience with using grains that were crushed 2 1/2 weeks prior to brewing. I can read all the posts about fresh grains, etc. but I'm looking for actual hands-on feedback.

It wouldn't be too hard to go get new ones, but I don't want to just trash them if it's not necessary either. Right now, i'm really leaning heavily towards using them unless somebody can convince me why I shouldn't.

Anybody want to chime in on this?

[Dawg LB Steve]

Have they been kept cool (room temp cool) and dry? I have used grains that have been milled a week and a half before because things got in the way of brewing and not had a problem.

[Kealia]

Yep, yep.

Cool and dry but not sealed. Normally I seal them in a plastic bag when I pick them up at MoreBeer but they were out so they are just sitting in a tightly wrapped brown paper bag.

[mashani]

I've used crushed grains that were stored dry and cool and well sealed that were much older then that and had good results.

[Inkleg]

Sorry, not much help.
I laugh maniacally at my grains while pointing to the mash temperature water I'm about to pour them into as I'm telling them about the crusher they are going through first. But hey, I'm weird like that.
I do know someone who had crushed grains in a paper bag for a month before he could brew, room temperature and dry.
I enjoyed the beer brewed from it and it was great!


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[RickBeer]

I've gone 6 weeks with crushed grains, stored in a thick plastic bag but not vacuum sealed. I think you will be fine.

[philm00x]

Longest I've had crushed grains was a month. No ill effects that I noticed.

[Kealia]

Thanks guys. You're confirming what I thought - these should be fine.

I appreciate the input.

[Whamolagan]

You won't have a problem

[bpgreen]

Quick question. Are these steeping grains, mashing grains, or both?

I bought a mill when I started using grains, so I don't have direct experience (I know you asked for direct experience, but . . . )

Mashing grains can lose diastatic power over time once they're crushed, but I think it's relatively slow, so 2.5 weeks shouldn't be a problem.

For steeping grains, I'd use the smell/taste test. If they smell good and taste good, they should give good flavor to the beer.

[Foothiller]

While I know some brewers who are fanatical about the freshness of their milled grains, they haven't convinced me that 2.5 weeks would be a noticeable problem. I have had success with older grains than that.

[Kealia]

Brian, they are for mashing. It is the entire grain bill and I'm glad the consensus is that thongs will be fine.
But if I miss my numbers y'all are going to hear about it.

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[bpgreen]

Brian, they are for mashing. It is the entire grain bill and I'm glad the consensus is that thongs will be fine.
But if I miss my numbers y'all are going to hear about it.

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As I said earlier, there is some loss in diastatic power over time, but a couple of weeks should be negligible. If you're concerned, give it more time and/or do an iodine test.

[RickBeer]

Thongs are very fine, but why are we talking about thongs?

[Kealia]

So.......I used them yesterday and came up 12pts shy on gravity. That is the most I've ever been off BUT three things may have contributed:

1) Age of grains, discussed
2) When I bought them I left thinking it I had screwed up measurements somewhere and it was lingering in my mind this whole time. Now that I type this I could have weighed them at any point since them to confirm. Ugh.
3) It is finally cold here and my mash temp at the end of 75 minutes had dropped to 145

I was multi tasking and decided on a whim to brew last night instead of today and I think it cost me. Today I ran to the LHBS and grabbed some DME to make it right.

All will be well, but it is frustrating to miss by that much regardless of the reason.

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