Jimmy Cracked Grains....do I care?

[rockfish]

So, I purchased grains for a mini-mash recipe from the local brew shop. My plan was to brew that weekend but didn't get to do it. Now, I have a bag o' milled grains in my freezer waiting for me. Will they be okay until I can brew? If so, how long do I have before money has been wasted? I'm figuring some sort of degredation scale, meaning the sooner the better.

[dawgfur]

I have read that milled grains last no longer than 3 to 4 weeks before becomming stale. Keeping it in the freezer may prolong it, but I couldn't really say if it helps (no experience with that).

The one thing I wanted to mention, if you do ever get around to using it, is that you may want to keep the grain temperature in mind when heating your strike water. You will need to raise the strike water temperature a little higher to compensate for the freezing temperature of the grains. That might help you reach your target mash temperature easier.

Good luck.

Bill

[dawgfur]

This article should help: http://byo.com/feature/892.html

Cheers!!

[rockfish]

Thanks Bill! I've been listening to last Sunday's show talking about moisture levels in grain and am a little concerned. I think I will thaw the grains in an open container so they don't get too wet and then give a taste and see how they survived. I hope to get to brewing this weekend at the latest. I'll check out that article.