What to do with old beer?

[Teresa]

I'm sure there will be jokes aplenty on this - but what should I do with old beer? I realize I can just dump it down the drain but if there is something 'useful' to do with it I'd rather do that.

I've heard 'stories' that using old beer for this and that is helpful - but I can't remember any of them (perhaps because ... never mind !). The best I can recall is something about keeping slugs out of the garden (as a bait in a can?) or rinsing your hair with it to make it more ?????

I have five cans that got tucked behind some other things and they have now been unearthed.

 

[presley]

It is supposed to be good for your hair. I don't remember in which way, though.

Also, how old is it? Can you cook with it? I use beer that we don't like to cook sausages in.

 

[dwojo]

I'm sure there will be jokes aplenty on this - but what should I do with old beer? I realize I can just dump it down the drain but if there is something 'useful' to do with it I'd rather do that.

I've heard 'stories' that using old beer for this and that is helpful - but I can't remember any of them (perhaps because ... never mind !). The best I can recall is something about keeping slugs out of the garden (as a bait in a can?) or rinsing your hair with it to make it more ?????

I have five cans that got tucked behind some other things and they have now been unearthed.

Use it to cook something. Many recipes call for beer.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Had to read all the posts. Wanted to know if you were talking about old, stale unopened beer or something else. :ignore:

 

[AwayWeGo]

Back When I Used To Drink Beer, I Never Had Any Old Beer.

I realize I can just dump it down the drain but if there is something 'useful' to do with it I'd rather do that.

You can use old stale pale ale for marinating meat, or mix old beer with Bisquick (etc.) to make beer bread, or mix a little Bisquick (etc.) in lots of beer to make beer batter for coating fish & chicken before deep-frying.

You can pour stale beer in shallow dishes out in the garden to attract & intoxicate & drown those annoying slimy slugs.

Etc.

Full Disclosure: I consumed my total lifetime capacity by the time I was 45 years old. That was a long time ago. So it goes.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[geekette]

I was thinking beer battered onion rings. YUM!

 

[sfwilshire]

Went to an estate sale on Saturday where there was a whole shelf of World's Fair Beer from the 1982 World's Fair. It was late in the day and there were no takers. The cans were pretty rusty, so probably not even appealing to collectors.

Sheila

 

[Talent312]

The day after a party in my college years, we'd stumble around, collecting leftover beer cars.

Whichever had any beer left, we'd drink 'em warm+stale... while munching on cold-dry pizza slices.

Those were the days.

 

[cotraveller]

I tried this a few years back when it made the local tv news. The results were inconclusive.

One full can of regular pop (any kind-no diet soda)
One full can of beer (no light beer) 12oz
1/2 Cup of Liquid dishwashing soap (do NOT use anti-bacterial dishwashing liquid)
1/2 Cup of household ammonia
1/2 Cup of mouthwash (any brand)

Spray on the lawn

http://www.wisebread.com/secret-lawn-tonic-recipe-from-golf-course-groundskeeper

 

[Passepartout]

It's probably just fine to drink. Assuming it's in aluminum cans- no rust- and still carbonated, I'd refrigerate a couple then pour the contents into a proper glass. If there's no sediment that's settled out of the beer, share it with someone you love. The survivor gets the rest, and a good story.

'Course there's always par-boiling brats- but that'd take 5 batches of brats.

Jim

 

[K&PFitz]

Old beer is a really strange concept to me. It doesn't get old in our house.

But beer will get skunky after time, especially beer that has been chilled, then warmed, then chilled again. I would not use it for cooking if it has gone skunky. It will ruin the food.

If the beer has not gone bad, but you just don't want to drink it, my favorite recipe is beer can chicken. Take a whole fryer, coat in olive oil and a dry rub, then shove a half full beer can up its hind end and stand it on the grill using the can and its legs to form a tripod. Cook over indirect heat. 90 minutes later you'll have an incredibly moist chicken.

Most experts will tell you this recipe requires a six pack of beer. One up inside the chicken, and the other five to drink while it's cooking.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Beer can chicken is another fine use.

 

[Teresa]

Thanks - I think!

I had heard the hair thing - but had forgotten about it. I'll have to check into that further.

I think the beer had been chilled for a party and then it got 'stashed' in a non-cold place and this it 'disappeared' behind some other things. I think it's about a year old.

I had heard (and discovered once or twice) that beer that had been chilled, then allowed to warm up and then chilled again would be 'off' - and it was when we tried it.

I'll think about putting some on the lawn in different places and see what happens with that! Not sure I want to make the recipe for the lawn - too much work!

Thanks for all the suggestions.