Homebrew Kit Bags have swelled up, are they usable?

lo-phi

Hi guys,

I bought four kits before Christmas, three American Wheat and one Stout. I brewed one of the Wheat beers last February leaving three kits. I noticed today that both the American Wheats had swelled out to near bursting, they're as hard as a football. The stout hasn't inflated at all. I placed both bags in the fridge in a hope it would bring the swelling down and it hasn't. They are both still in date 11/2025.

Are both these bags done for and ready for the bin?

Thank you in advance.

BeerNut

Is it a liquid malt extract in the bag? Where's the yeast? Have you asked the person you bought it off about what's happening?

lo-phi

It is a liquid malt extract and the yeast is currently stored in the fridge, it was originally gummed to the bottom of the bag. I have used similar kits before, but I have never experienced the pouches swelling up.

I'll contact the supplier tomorrow and report back.

BeerNut

Best guess is some wild yeast was in the bag when they sealed it (you didn't open it or anything after you bought it, right?) and it has started fermenting. That sounds like a faulty product and you're due a replacement. You could always just make it and see what the end result is like: you might get a wild yeast off-flavour, or you might not. If you do, it might make it a nice beer, or it might not. Worst case is you dump the batch once you've decided you don't like drinking it.

Most importantly, if it is fermenting in that bag, you need to store it somewhere it can explode safely, because it will explode sooner or later.

lo-phi

I didn't break the seal on either bag and I also checked to see if they were intact just in-case someone else at home might have tampered with bags. Hopefully its yeast that has caused the swelling and not bacteria, thus the kits might be salvageable. I have them both stored in the fridge so that should inhibit and yeast/bacteria from inflating the bags any further.

I sent an email, with pictures, to the supplier explaining what had happened to the Beer Kits and they immediately gave me a refund. They also didn't ask for the offending kits back, I hope to find some time this coming week to start a brew and satisfy a curiosity, the bag might stink upon opening or a couple of weeks later I'll have beer?

BeerNut

Sounds good, and glad you got the refund. I hadn't heard about that happening with pouch kits before. Definitely sounds like a manufacturing error.

Hope they turn out OK. Free beer always tastes best 😁

magicbastarder

never know, you might have a beer New To Science which you can make your millions on!