Basic Ingredient Storage

[Mike at Bay]

Dry yeast (11g packages) -- Refrigerate or just store cool and dry
Hop Pellets --Refrigerate or freeze unopened packages? Open packages?
Grains.....cool and dry in plastic bucket with lid?

Just generally how long would you be comfortable keeping each of these?

Looking for more cost effective purchase approaches for each. All my ingredients need to be ordered online.

 

[HighVoltageMan!]

Dry yeast (11g packages) -- Refrigerate or just store cool and dry

You will get a longer shelf life with the yeast refrigerated (years). This is also the recommended by yeast manufacturers. You can also store them in the freezer, but most manufacturers say the refrigerator is just as good, maybe even better.

Hop Pellets --Refrigerate or freeze unopened packages? Open packages?

If they are in the original unopened mylar bag in a freezer, they can last for years.

Open packages expose the hops to oxygen. You can store them in opened packages, but the hops will degrade over time. I would suspect they would last a few months in the freezer, much less at room temp. Oxidized hops smell like cow $h1+ to me. Others describe them as dirty socks.

I typically store open bags in the original mylar bag that has been put in a vacuum sealed bag. They keep fairly well.

Grains.....cool and dry in plastic bucket with lid?

Unmilled grains will last a year or more in buckets (with a lid). Malt is very easy to store for longer time. Keep it cool and dry and it will last a really long time

 

[J A]

Yeast can stay viable for quite a while but best to use it within a couple of years at the longest. Yes refrigerate. I buy 500 gram bricks and vacuum seal between uses and store in the fridge.
Hops can last up to a year but at some point they lose their potency and flavor, even in unopened factory packaging. I buy bulk hops and vacuum seal and freeze them. I have used some hops that were a year old when I got them and then kept them for a year. It's just not as good as having somewhat fresher hops.
I use Vittles Vault containers for grains. Cool and dry is preferred, but I don't have any choice but keep them in my garage during the hot months and it still makes good beer. Up to a year is fine but longer than that can be hard on efficiency and flavor. Definitely don't store milled grain for more than a week or two, even covered or in bags, though vacuum bagged and refrigerated is okay.

 

[Semper Sitientum]

I refrigerate my yeast and freeze my hops. I don’t do much with malt as I don’t buy in bulk and I’m fortunate to have a good LHBS a few miles away.

As mentioned previously, a vacuum sealer is one of your best friends. Also as mentioned, hops lose their potency with time. But, even if they’re old, you can just use more. I remember seeing a chart on the interweb regarding degradation, so you can increase by the percentage degraded.

 

[Craigerrr]

Yeast, keep in fridge, just watch the date on the package, use up older packets first

Hops, vacuum seal and keep in freezer

Grains, sealed plastic containers, unmilled rhey have a very long shelf life

 

[Steve Ruch]

Unmilled grains will last a year or more in buckets (with a lid). Malt is very easy to store for longer time. Keep it cool and dry and it will last a really long time

The last bag of grain that I bought had a best by date two years after the packaged date.

 

[Mike at Bay]

Thanks all. Plan is to start buying larger quantities of hops (1lb each of mostly commonly used) from Yakima. Where do you all buy grains. Planning to buy 50lb of Pale and some Crystal and then build recipes around those a base to start with. Other specialty gains as needed.

 

[J A]

Thanks all. Plan is to start buying larger quantities of hops (1lb each of mostly commonly used) from Yakima. Where do you all buy grains. Planning to buy 50lb of Pale and some Crystal and then build recipes around those a base to start with. Other specialty gains as needed.

Shipping is what eats you up on bags of malt. If you don't have a LHBS that sells bags, you might talk to a local small brewery and get them to add a bag or two to an order. My LHBS has relatively good prices and carries a brand that I like but I take advantage of a local club group buy that happens once a year and allows me to stock up at $40 to $60 a bag rather than $60 to $80. I usually buy a bag each of Pilsner, Pale Ale, Maris Otter and at least one bag of Standard 2-Row. I still buy stuff like Munich, Vienna, Acidulated, Roasted and Cara/Crystal malts by the pound in quantities from 2 to 10 lbs and keep them stocked. Those malts typically make up less than 20% of any given recipe.

 

[Mike at Bay]

Yeast can stay viable for quite a while but best to use it within a couple of years at the longest. Yes refrigerate. I buy 500 gram bricks and vacuum seal between uses and store in the fridge.
Hops can last up to a year but at some point they lose their potency and flavor, even in unopened factory packaging. I buy bulk hops and vacuum seal and freeze them. I have used some hops that were a year old when I got them and then kept them for a year. It's just not as good as having somewhat fresher hops.
I use Vittles Vault containers for grains. Cool and dry is preferred, but I don't have any choice but keep them in my garage during the hot months and it still makes good beer. Up to a year is fine but longer than that can be hard on efficiency and flavor. Definitely don't store milled grain for more than a week or two, even covered or in bags, though vacuum bagged and refrigerated is okay.

Thanks. Yep I figured shipping would be a thing. I do know a local craft brewery owner here. However, interestingly MoreBeer will ship 5 10lb bags of Great Western 2-row Pale for free but a 50 lb bag of the same is over $50 to ship.......obviously shipping is like airline tickets.

 

[Zambi]

Both yeast and hops live in the freezer.
Generally in unopened of ziplock bags.
I just got more space in the freezer plus the fridge struggles to maintain temperature in the summer

 

[Bigbre04]

I use 7.5gal screwtop pails from Uline. 2 pails will fit a 55lb bucket perfectly. They are roughly $20 each the last time that i bought them. Vitals vaults are also good for storing grain, but they are a little more money per bag(i think).

vacuum seal yeast and keep it in the fridge. you can break your hops into smaller portions, vac seal them, and open them one at a time as you need them. keep them away from light (a cardboard box or bag works just fine.)