Storage

Mister Burns

So I've extra ingredients left after my latest brew so now I need to store these. So I need to know where or how best to store the grain, hops and yeast? I've them in tight bags in the fridge .... not sure if it's the wrong thing to do?

sharingan

For the grain, keep them in an airtight container in a dry place, preferably in a cupboard out of the light.

Grain is robust. Malted grains wont germinate or anything, but if damp they can get moldy.

Yeast, keep it in a dry box in the fridge.

Hops, freeze them in as airtight a bag as you can get, use as fresh as you can (never stockpile hops).

Mister Burns

Thanks for that - plan is to throw an other brew on Saturday week so will bung the hops in the freezer until then, keep the yeast in the fridge and grain in an airtight container in the press

Do I need to let the hops thaw out prior to use?

Shiny

I find that hops are fairly dry and don't really freeze solid. They are ready to use straight away.

adamski8

Shiny wrote: »

I find that hops are fairly dry and don't really freeze solid. They are ready to use straight away.

Stop reading beer forums and write your thesis!

Mister Burns

adamski8 wrote: »

Stop reading beer forums and write your thesis!

This is far more important

Shiny

adamski8 wrote: »

Stop reading beer forums and write your thesis!

Devi

How long can hops stay fresh in the freezer?

sharingan

Devi wrote: »

How long can hops stay fresh in the freezer?

Hops gradually decline in quality over time from the moment they are picked until you use them. Freezing in airtight containers slows this process but does not stall it.

For flavour and aroma hops your hops should be as fresh as possible. Old hops are good mostly for bittering only.

Devi

sharingan wrote: »

Hops gradually decline in quality over time from the moment they are picked until you use them. Freezing in airtight containers slows this process but does not stall it.

For flavour and aroma hops your hops should be as fresh as possible. Old hops are good mostly for bittering only.

Would the flavour/aroma last a month even? I understand there would be a decline but would it be noticeable after a month though? Just thinking about bulk buying a few batches worth of stuff to save on the shipping costs. Is crushed grain ok to store for say a month?

BeerNut

Devi wrote: »

I understand there would be a decline but would it be noticeable after a month though?

I wouldn't say so. You might get away with three or four. But remember: the clock starts when the hop is picked, not when it arrives with you, so if freshness is a concern pay close attention to harvest dates and which hemisphere the hops are from.

sharingan

Devi wrote: »

Would the flavour/aroma last a month even? I understand there would be a decline but would it be noticeable after a month though? Just thinking about bulk buying a few batches worth of stuff to save on the shipping costs. Is crushed grain ok to store for say a month?

I have used pre-crushed grain that was over a year old. Made fine beer, but that was base malt.

I tend to buy my base malt pre-crushed, and my specialty malt whole. I will clean out a sack of the base malt in about 3 months or so, but specialty malts tend to be recipe specific.

It seems the best compromise between grinding effort and shelf life.