Is 5 year old beer worth distilling?

[Ramble]

Hey guys, I just scored two 15 gallon kegs from Craigs list today. Got them both for 80 dollars.
One of them is still very full. The guy said they had been in his garage since he got out of college, 5 years ago. I emptied about two gallons from the other one and it still looked and smelled like beer. I just couldn't pass these up. My son has been looking for one and I have been wanting to build a boiler from a keg for a while now. I wish I had found these two weeks ago.
I just bought a 13 gallon milk can boiler and 3 inch, dual purpose column and boiler from Moonshine distillers. I have already replaced the gaskets with the everlasting gasket and wrapped the one under the lid with teflon tape. That should last until I get this keg fitted with drains and electric heat, maybe a few other things. If it had a proper dephlag, ( and a better condenser) I would think about keeping it. I'm planning to swap out everything above the 3 inch spool. My soldering skills aren't up to making a multiple tube condenser. The guys that make them on You Tube sure make it look easy
Anyway, if you have any info on the old beer, I would like to hear. My thinking is, if it is spoiled, and it is sure to be, it should still have the alcohol in it. It still has pressure on it so maybe it was sterile when it was put in.

[Still Life]

I found this thread doing an HD Google "distilling beer" search:
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=56225

[shadylane]

Here's a link to the other 7,819 posts about "distilling beer"
https://www.google.com/search?rls=en-us ... &*&spf=181" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Personally, I don't like the flavor of hops in my liquor

[Ramble]

Thanks for the links guys. It seems to really mess up the column. Oh well, glad I didn't do it. I never thought the hops taste would come through the distillation. Sure is a waste of 15 gallons of beer though.
I did the search, just didn't use those words.

[still_stirrin]

I distilled an old keg of Coors light a guy had and gave me when I bought his Tapster. The keg had been in his garage for over 2 years...through summer and winter. The keg had probably 10 gallons in it (1/2 barrel).

I pulled roughly 1.25 gallons of low wines at 40%ABV from it. It was fine...not sour (like the beer was) and the alcohol went into my next All Bran strip run.

Perfectly recycled.
ss

[Ramble]

Ha! now you tell me. I just dumped the whole 15 gallons into the ditch. I tried it, just out of curiosity. It looked like beer, slightly cloudy. Tasted kind of sour.

[bilgriss]

Generally, if it's in question, run it. Worst case scenario is you end up dumping it. It's just as likely you might have something special....

[thecroweater]

Thanks for the links guys. It seems to really mess up the column. Oh well, glad I didn't do it. I never thought the hops taste would come through the distillation. Sure is a waste of 15 gallons of beer though.
I did the search, just didn't use those words.

Hmm having a quick read of the first link should have indicated that it will in fact not mess up your column. I know plenty of posts on more than just this forum will say that but I'm yet to find one single first hand example of this except one guy years ago that put some heavy hopped IPA in and air still and found he had to manually clean it (big woop). Not trying to be facetious just this comes up time and again with all the credibility of shine causing Jake leg.

[aceswired]

Sour? Did it turn into vinegar perhaps?