How long can water and protein powder sit at room temperature?

largemansmay***

largemansmay***

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Before going bad? If I mixed water and whey powder and sipped on it for a few hours would that be ok? How long does it take to go bad?
 
largemansmay said:
Before going bad? If I mixed water and whey powder and sipped on it for a few hours would that be ok? How long does it take to go bad?
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Yuck, I can't imagine sipping on that. I usually just drink it as fast as possible.
 
Deductive reasoning:

How long does it take for water to go bad?

How long does it take for whey protein to go bad?

Need I say more?
 
GiJoe said:
Deductive reasoning:

How long does it take for water to go bad?

How long does it take for whey protein to go bad?

Need I say more?
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Probably, considering the entire reason freeze-dried and powdered products have such a long shelf life is solely due to the fact that they've had all of their water removed.

Honestly I think you would be good for a few hours, but I wouldn't drink anything that has sat out overnight or anything.
 
GiJoe said:
Deductive reasoning:

How long does it take for water to go bad?

How long does it take for whey protein to go bad?

Need I say more?
Click to expand...

That's not deductive. I had protein shakes go bad in about four hours during summer, not a fun thing...
 
if you're in a relatively cool place, i'd say 4-6 hours. if it is warm and humid, i wouldn't leave it out for more than an hour or two. when in doubt, just put it in the fridge.
 
It'll start to separate after a few hours, but remixing it will fix that. Should be fine for quite a while as long as the temp isn't too high.

As to all the guys chugging their protein, it's better for your digestion if you sip it. Just buy some better tasting protein.
 
xPINKx said:
That's not deductive. I had protein shakes go bad in about four hours during summer, not a fun thing...
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I agree....plus if you are adding stuff like creatien the water will mess up the results of the creatine pretty quickly
 
GiJoe said:
How so? Do you have any evidence of this?
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Creatine in water slowly degrades to creatinine, which is completely useless. I think the half-life is something like 12 hours or so, so it doesn't happen very quickly. Still, best policy is to drink up asap.
 
GiJoe said:
Deductive reasoning:

How long does it take for water to go bad?

How long does it take for whey protein to go bad?

Need I say more?
Click to expand...
That's dunce reasoning, not deductive reasoning. That's like saying, "A 15-pound turkey takes 4-5 hours to cook; deductive reasoning, a 30-pound turkey takes 8-10 hours to cook." You'll deduce a burnt-ass turkey.

Water changes everything. Powdered milk will keep for years. But if you add water, and don't refrigerate it, then it will not last the day.

To largeman, I know I've seen this question answered before, but I can't remember the answer (since it wasn't really important to me because if I don't drink my shake within a half hour I just dump it out). Treat it like skim milk. Would you drink skim milk that's been at room temp for 4 hours? Just remember that bacteria grow at a geometric rate, and that growth is kick-started by the addition of the water to the whey. So you should also consider that even if it's safely consumable it may not be desirable.
 
Throw in some kefir grains and it should keep more or less indefinitely as the kefir biota outcompete any other microbes.
 
Revok said:
Throw in some kefir grains and it should keep more or less indefinitely as the kefir biota outcompete any other microbes.
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???

That doesn't seem possible. I don't know much about Kefir, specifically, but a quick Wiki reports, "Kefir grains are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of proteins, lipids, and sugars." So you're basically just fermenting the whey shake, yeah? I realize there isn't much residual sugar in even whey protein concentrate, but there is some, and besides, since this "Kefir" is just bacteria and yeast, aren't you alternatively probably just turning the damn thing into yogurt?
 
Madmick said:
???

That doesn't seem possible. I don't know much about Kefir, specifically, but a quick Wiki reports, "Kefir grains are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of proteins, lipids, and sugars." So you're basically just fermenting the whey shake, yeah? I realize there isn't much residual sugar in even whey protein concentrate, but there is some, and besides, since this "Kefir" is just bacteria and yeast, aren't you alternatively probably just turning the damn thing into yogurt?
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Pretty much, though kefir is generally thinner than yogurt, and the taste can be varied depending on how long you let it ferment, from slightly tangy (12 hours) to tongue-sizzling sourness (4-5 days). Most people leave it for 2 or 3 days at room temp, after which you just separate the grains for re-use and drink up. There's zero possibility of contamination from other microbes as they're instantly outcompeted by the kefir.

The only macronutrient change resulting from the fermentation is a reduction in carbs, and perhaps a very slight increase in protein. B & K vitamins steadily increase over time.

I'm not entirely sure how it would interact being fermented with a flavoured protein powder, but I guess it would be fine as practically all the ingredients would be milk-derived anyway, and any added sugars would either be metabolised or ignored.

Personally I would ferment the kefir for a day or two, remove the bulk of the grains, and then mix in the protein - the result would be a slightly yogurty shake that would keep unrefrigerated more or less indefinitely.


Further reading FYI...

Dom's About Kefir in-site
 
largemansmay said:
Before going bad? If I mixed water and whey powder and sipped on it for a few hours would that be ok? How long does it take to go bad?
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if it smells funny I toss it.

of course you should just keep the two separate until you are ready to drink it.
 
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