How can I reuse or recycle expired beer or beer dregs?

BeerWe’ve had an email from Wen Rou (from Chile!):

Hi, I’ve got a box with cans of expired beer, how can I recycle it? The empty cans I’ll take them to the recycling center. I can just throw the beer away, just wondering if anything useful can be made with it.

If you’ve got a snail & slug-infested garden, the most obvious suggestion is to use it for beer traps to catch those slippery suckers. From what I’ve seen, they’re not fussy whether it’s lager, ale, in date, premium or the cheapest nastiest stuff sold in our supermarket for 88p for four cans (John tried the latter and said it tasted like bitter, gone-off water).

Beer is also supposed to be good for hair – mix with water as a final-rinse aid. It apparently leaves it silky and shiny – but I don’t know whether that needs a yeasty ale-type beer or whether a lager will do. (Anyone know?)

Any other suggestions for either this expired beer or other related stuff, like the sediment-y bit at the bottom of bottles/barrels?

(Stock photo by macleod)

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9 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle expired beer or beer dregs?”


  1. Bellen says:

    Not a beer or alcohol drinker – can’t you just drink it?
    If not, use it to bake bread – google for a recipe or cook hot dogs in it.

    PS-I googled beer expiration dates – results said – if it still tastes fresh, drink it.

  2. Andy says:

    Hi..if you lot don’t use the beer or any other type of alcohol…Bring it to me !!

  3. Star Simpson says:

    Make a solar still, and distill out the alcohol! You’ll be left with a clear liquid tasting like whiskey, which you can therefore use by drinking without violating your impulse to not slam backwash left in bottles after a party, for example.

  4. Lindy Loo says:

    Beer can be used in a lot of different recipes – it works well in bread, as a meat tenderiser, I even have a recipe somewhere for a very rich chocolate cake (using a dark beer).

    I think you would probably find quite a lot of options if you googled beer recipes.

  5. Melissa says:

    I but a cork in an unfinished bottle of beer and save it until the next time I make chili. Besides lending flavor, beer adds a necessary acidity to chili. Chili is also a great way to use up a leftover half an onion, pepper, salsa, or tomato paste.

  6. Lori says:

    Beer can be used to douse the fire should flames flare up while barbecueing more fatty cuts or sausages. Not a good idea for gas or electric grills of course. But on a coal fire, beer adds a little flavor to whatever you’re grilling. Ideally it should be in a bottle so you can shake slightly to cause pressure and use your finger to point the beer stream to the flames until they die down. Bon appetit!

  7. Winona says:

    If you want to recycle it, it can be used as a fairly safe, non-toxic slug and snail pest controller in your garden. As opposed to using pellets and chemicals that are pretty bug, a saucer or beer dregs will attract snugs and snails to the brew, avoiding the plants right next to it. They will unfortunately die from getting wasted… But then pellets are bad for the birds that eat them too… Well it’s one use… Also you could just pour it on the ground outside… The beer will degrade naturally. It really does’t need a recycling process.

  8. Aaron says:

    what about 20 tonns of expired beer



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