So I live in a frat house, and durring spring cleaning today (Mostly throwing crap no one wants and broken stuff off the fire-escape into a dumpster) I found the remnants of an old brewing kit and a recipe kit. I usually do my brewing at home with my (real) brother, but some of the brothers showed interest in brewing with me, so I figured I'd give it a shot with them. I am dating this stuff at about 3-3.5 years old (based on a best by date on one of the bottles). What I want to know is how long do the grains last (I am assumeing even pellet hops do not last nearly this long), and will I still be able to use them?
In your case, the grains being +3 yrs... I'd say buy fresh grain. Worth the cheap expense. You'll be be glad you made the investment when it comes time to drink your beer. Otherwise, it's like playing Russian Roulette at this stage in the game. I'd gladly spend another $5-$10 just for the piece of mind...
I don't know anyone who'se done a side by side. I think you're probably past the use by date. If it were my cheap ass, I'd probably try to meld them together with some fresh grains and use them up over the next 10-15 gallons.
