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Date: 26 May 2006 10:11:33
From: Jim Stansell
Subject: Old LME Still Good?
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A friend gave me a couple of 3.3 pounds pouches of LME that he thinks
are probably about five years old. The pouches have never been opened,
and have been stored in a basement (where it's fairly cool). I don't
see any traces of mold or other contamination.
Are they likely to still be good, or should I toss them into the trash
and not risk ruining a batch of beer?
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Date: 26 May 2006 14:57:10
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: Old LME Still Good?
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On Fri, 26 May 2006 10:11:33 -0400, <jim.stansell@comcast.net > wrote:
> A friend gave me a couple of 3.3 pounds pouches of LME that he thinks
> are probably about five years old. The pouches have never been opened,
> and have been stored in a basement (where it's fairly cool). I don't
> see any traces of mold or other contamination.
>
> Are they likely to still be good, or should I toss them into the trash
> and not risk ruining a batch of beer?
They're probably safe to brew with, but old/stale LME will cause some
funny off flavors in the beer. It's the most common source for what people
call the "extract twang" or "cidery" flavor. You can brew with it if you
want to, but I wouldn't get your expectations up too high.
John.
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Date: 26 May 2006 11:22:25
From: Jim Stansell
Subject: Re: Old LME Still Good?
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On 26 May 2006 14:57:10 GMT, John 'Shaggy' Kolesar <spam@shagg.net >
wrote:
>On Fri, 26 May 2006 10:11:33 -0400, <jim.stansell@comcast.net> wrote:
>> A friend gave me a couple of 3.3 pounds pouches of LME that he thinks
>> are probably about five years old. The pouches have never been opened,
>> and have been stored in a basement (where it's fairly cool). I don't
>> see any traces of mold or other contamination.
>>
>> Are they likely to still be good, or should I toss them into the trash
>> and not risk ruining a batch of beer?
>
>They're probably safe to brew with, but old/stale LME will cause some
>funny off flavors in the beer. It's the most common source for what people
>call the "extract twang" or "cidery" flavor. You can brew with it if you
>want to, but I wouldn't get your expectations up too high.
>
Yeah, that's kinda what I figured....I was just wondering if anyone
had actually brewed with extract that old. I've also heard about the
"extract twang" but didn't know if it came from first hand experience,
or if it was one of those things that gets passed around without any
real support.
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Date: 26 May 2006 15:43:01
From: Joel
Subject: Re: Old LME Still Good?
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Jim Stansell <jim.stansell@comcast.net > wrote:
>Yeah, that's kinda what I figured....I was just wondering if anyone
>had actually brewed with extract that old. I've also heard about the
>"extract twang" but didn't know if it came from first hand experience,
>or if it was one of those things that gets passed around without any
>real support.
I once won a 3-lb "kicker" packet of LME in a raffle,
and threw it into a beer I was making (a generic dark
ale). The beer had that "extract twang" even though
the extract was presumably not too old. (It wasn't
dated, but was donated by the manufacturer.)
--
Joel Plutchak
"...illiterate Abyssinians did it for 5000 years, you can do it too."
- Guy Gregory on brewing beer
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Date: 26 May 2006 18:52:25
From: Jim Moran
Subject: Re: Old LME Still Good?
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Jim, you should try some of the braggot I made with some approx. 5 yr. old
extract. It was :
1.5 kg can Muntons's Light syrup
1.6 kg can John Bull Lager kit
9 lb Baker and Chef honey (from Sam's Club)
1 lb 20l crystal malt
Safale 04 (Whitbread)
OG = 1.100
FG=1.008
A little off the "regular" beer recipe, but it turned out pretty good.
Albeit a bit dark. The original cans should have produced what I thought
would have been a lighter drink. It is actually pitch black. I hear that is
what happens when liquid extract ages.
cheers, jim
"Joel" <plutchak@see.headers > wrote in message
news:e577m5$61e$1@badger.ncsa.uiuc.edu...
> Jim Stansell <jim.stansell@comcast.net> wrote:
>>Yeah, that's kinda what I figured....I was just wondering if anyone
>>had actually brewed with extract that old. I've also heard about the
>>"extract twang" but didn't know if it came from first hand experience,
>>or if it was one of those things that gets passed around without any
>>real support.
>
> I once won a 3-lb "kicker" packet of LME in a raffle,
> and threw it into a beer I was making (a generic dark
> ale). The beer had that "extract twang" even though
> the extract was presumably not too old. (It wasn't
> dated, but was donated by the manufacturer.)
> --
> Joel Plutchak
>
> "...illiterate Abyssinians did it for 5000 years, you can do it too."
> - Guy Gregory on brewing beer
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Date: 26 May 2006 15:33:44
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: Old LME Still Good?
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On Fri, 26 May 2006 11:22:25 -0400, <jim.stansell@comcast.net > wrote:
>>They're probably safe to brew with, but old/stale LME will cause some
>>funny off flavors in the beer. It's the most common source for what people
>>call the "extract twang" or "cidery" flavor. You can brew with it if you
>>want to, but I wouldn't get your expectations up too high.
>>
>
> Yeah, that's kinda what I figured....I was just wondering if anyone
> had actually brewed with extract that old. I've also heard about the
> "extract twang" but didn't know if it came from first hand experience,
> or if it was one of those things that gets passed around without any
> real support.
First hand experience. I usually buy LME in bulk (30 lbs container) and
I can definitely tell when the container has been sitting around too long
by the off flavors in the beer it makes. The "extract twang" from old LME
is real.
John.
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Date: 26 May 2006 22:38:55
From: Scott Sellers
Subject: Re: Old LME Still Good?
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Jim Stansell <jim.stansell@comcast.net >:
>On 26 May 2006 14:57:10 GMT, John 'Shaggy' Kolesar <spam@shagg.net>
>wrote:
>>On Fri, 26 May 2006 10:11:33 -0400, <jim.stansell@comcast.net> wrote:
>>> A friend gave me a couple of 3.3 pounds pouches of LME that
>>> he thinks are probably about five years old. The pouches have
>>> never been opened, and have been stored in a basement (where
>>> it's fairly cool). I don't see any traces of mold or other
>>> contamination.
>>>
>>> Are they likely to still be good, or should I toss them into
>>> the trash and not risk ruining a batch of beer?
>>
>>They're probably safe to brew with, but old/stale LME will
>>cause some funny off flavors in the beer. It's the most common
>>source for what people call the "extract twang" or "cidery"
>>flavor. You can brew with it if you want to, but I wouldn't
>>get your expectations up too high.
>>
>Yeah, that's kinda what I figured....I was just wondering if
>anyone had actually brewed with extract that old. I've also
>heard about the "extract twang" but didn't know if it came from
>first hand experience, or if it was one of those things that
>gets passed around without any real support.
Me either. You could take one for the team and find out. ;) If
you brew something not too involved, or with too high
expectations...
But heck, who am I kidding? I wouldn't do it. Life is short,
and brew opportunities are finite.
Scott S
--
Scott Sellers
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