Best Before Dates

[ozcah]

HI,

It's been awhile since I brewed anything and I have a couple of old kits and cans of malt sitting in the pantry.
I had a look and to my horror they all have best before dates for September, or there abouts, last year.

I'm after an opinion.

Do I use them or should my better judgement kick in and say "let it go"....?

Any advice?

Catchya
Osc

[timmy]

Go for it.

From what I can make out, the extra age will only darken the extract a bit.

I've used 6-year-old kits before and they turned out fine.

[Bizier]

I'd add at least some crystal malt to that to give the kit malt a bit of a fresher taste, and also maybe a whack of aroma hops.

I used an out of date stout can once thinking that the heavy flavour was going to mask any age, and I got a definite metallic flavour from it. You may not though.

[Gym_]

From what ive heard they can start geting a matalic tast to them as the metal from the cans leaches into the beer

[warra48]

It's fine to use older cans, but be aware of these two potential issues:

1. The wort is likely to be darker than that made with a fresher can.
2. The metalic taste mentioned earlier (also known as "kit twang") is most likely to due oxidation of the contents of the can.

The colour is not a problem, if you brew only for taste.
The twang can be masked to a large degree by adding some specialty malts and extra hops, thus freshening your brew.

[ozcah]

Thanks for the advice people.

Much appreciated.

catchya
Osc

[Throsby]

One more thing - as far as I'm aware you'd be better off getting some fresh yeast too.

Whatever yeast came with the kits may have been through all sorts of weather and storage conditions.

Get some Safale. It's fabulous.

[Trough Lolly]

Excellent point Throsby - you can get by with "browned" extract but you can't get buy with dead/stressed yeast.

Cheers,
TL

[smiggins55]

All the new kit cans are now lined inside with a thin plastic coating which
would probably protect the contents from any metallic tastes well past the due date

[zx7rtas]

i am just about to put in a brew of wander draught which expired in the 10 04.My local home brew shop tells me it should be still ok if the can has not swelled and to add some fresh yeast.I can only try.