Got a bottle or a can of beer you accidentally left lying around beyond its expiry date? While it may not be good enough to drink, here are 12 brilliant reasons to not ditch the stale ale!
1. Clean Wooden Furniture
Need to add some sparkle to your wooden coffee table? Apply some flat beer to the surface with a soft cloth and prepare to be dazzled! Just be sure to conduct the statutory spot-check first, as you would normally with all cleaning agents (pick a spot that’s well hidden from the public eye!).
2. Jazz Up Copper And Cast Iron Cookware
In days of yore, the last bit of beer from spent kegs was collected and used to polish the copper vats in breweries. So the next time you’ve got an ugly stain on your favourite pot, let it soak in a bath of stale beer for 5 or 10 minutes. Next, use a soft cloth to gently buff the surface to get rid of the stain and make your pot look as good as new!
3. Get Rid Of Carpet Stains
Stale beer makes a handy replacement for carpet and rug cleaners. Pour some drops over the stain and let it soak for few minutes. Blot the stain with a clean cloth to find the stain gone.
Of course, don’t forget to clean that spot afterward with soap and water to remove the beer!
4. Remove Rust
Got some rusted bolts and screws getting in the way of your woodwork? Pour some stale beer over them and give it a few minutes before the carbonation starts breaking the rust down for you.
5. Grill Some Chicken For A Barbecue
Drinking expired or stale beer is totally harmless and non-toxic. The only problem is it’s likely to smell off and taste flat – problems that stem from three factors: hops, light and oxygen. Luckily, regardless of whether a beer is stale or fresh, it can still elevate the overall experience of your dish to a whole new level!
The easiest way to make extra flavourful chicken is to put a half-full can of beer in the cavity of a chicken that’s ready to be grilled. As the meat cooks, the beer will gradually evaporate, leaving behind a super juicy and richly flavoured chicken!
6. Make A Healthy Marinade For Your Meat
Numerous studies found that marinating with beer drops the carcinogenic levels in grilled meat. Beer marination significantly helped to suppress the formation of carcinogenic compounds and in fact, enhanced the antioxidant and phenolic content of meats. The slightly acidic profile of beer is great for tenderising meat – especially leaner cuts that could otherwise be too tough.
All you’ve got to do is poke some holes in your meat, put it in an airtight container and pour the beer all over. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator overnight before you cook it the next day! It’s that easy!
7. Bake Some Beer Bread
Yes, you can also bake a batch of bread with some stale lager! Beer lends bread a distinctly earthy, rich malty, slightly sweet flavour while the yeast in it makes it ‘rise’ beautifully to the occasion to make the perfect sandwich!
8. Breathe Life Back Into Dull Hair
If you haven’t seen trending beauty hacks for lustrous locks involving beer, you’ve been living under a rock for sure. According to research, adding stale beer to your haircare regime after shampooing can deliver a powerful dose of proteins and B vitamins, leaving your hair fuller, thicker and shiny. While there are plenty of beer shampoos in the market to choose from, you can easily create your own! Boil a cup or two (depending on the length of your hair) of the beer until you're left with about 25 percent of the liquid, sans the alcohol. Once it has cooled down, mixed the reduced beer with your shampoo. Wash and rinse your hair as usual and step out of the shower with a rejuvenated mane!
9. Glow Up With A DIY Beer Face Mask
Beer face masks are all the rage right now and with very good reason. Beer, whether fresh or stale is said to be great for your skin because the brewer’s yeast in the beverage is said to keep your skin’s pH levels balanced and tighten your pores. Additionally, the vitamins in beer may help fight acne breakouts! People all over the world are mixing beer with eggs, yogurt and even lime juice for healthy glowing skin.
However, since everyone’s skin is different, we recommend doing a patch test or even consulting your dermatologist if you have extreme skin conditions before slathering your face with lager!
10. Wind Down With A DIY Beer Pedicure
Give your tired feet some TLC by soaking them in a basin full of old beer and warm water! Once again, the yeast in the beer becomes the star ingredient here that works hard to soften the tough skin and calluses on the soles of your feet. The alcohol also acts as a natural antiseptic for your skin, keeping your feet squeaky clean and germ-free!
11. Fix A Patchy Lawn
According to professional gardeners, beer has fermented sugars that help stimulate plant growth and destroy fungi. Simply spray some stale homebrew on those scanty, bald patches on your lawn to allow the grass to soak up the sugar and pull energy from it!
12. Lay Out A Trap For Insects
Insects and beer lovers have one thing in common – they both love beer. Pests like cockroaches, fruit flies, slugs and even mice cannot resist the sugars in beer and are instantly drawn to it. This fact proves extremely useful, especially when you’re outdoors. Pour some of your stale beer into some shallow tumblers and place them around you close to the ground. Slugs and insects will soon crawl into it and drown before they know it!
You can also DIY your own easy pesticide spray by mixing one cup each of flat beer, Epsom salt, mouthwash and half a packet of dry yeast. Shake well to dissolve the yeast and the salt and then spray as needed to keep insects at bay.
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