old cooper kit, still usable?

[figless]

Hi all,

I just purchased a second hand coopers mico brew kit with all the trimmings, it was never used by the previous owner. As such, I have a tin of lager, 1kg of brewing sugar and 1 bag of carbonation drops.

 

The expiry dates for all these are nov 2007.

 

This may be a stupid question, but can one ignore the expiration date for the sugars? I'm aware the tin is probably toast :)

[Tricky]

Hi Ben,

The yeast will be the biggest problem as it stops being viable over time in the dried sachets at room temperature.

The malt in the tin will get darker over time and the flavours may even change because it is quite a few years past the best before. If you were marooned on a desert island you could probably use it, but it really wouldn\u2019t be would the effort in brewing it.

I don\u2019t think that the sugars deteriorate over time, so they should be fine as long as they have been kept clean and dry.

My theory is that with the money you save making home brew you might as well spend a little more and make a top notch beer that you can be proud off.

 

[PB2]

Tricky, you are back online. I thought we had lost you!!

Ben, the rest of this post was typed while oblivious to the fact that Tricky had answered you.

 

Dry sugars (sucrose, dexttrose, maltose, etc.) remain very stable in colour and flavour. The carbo drops probably look a bit average but they should also be okay.

As for the Lager beer kit (made somtime in 2005) - most, if not all, of the yeast will have perished. The extract will still be fermentable but it will be as dark as bitter with a perculiar aroma and flavour that remains even when fermented. Out of interest to yourself open the can and have a sniff.

[Luke]

Chuck it all out and spend $20 on fresh ingredients.

You'll still be getting 2 slabs at $10 a slab - Bargain!

 

Welcome back to the Trickster!