How to Store Beer
How to Store Beer
Wine connoisseurs know there are specific ways to store wine to retain its flavors, no matter when it gets bottled and imbibed. Few people realize that just as much thought and consideration go into how to store beer correctly — and the rules inevitably differ for different types of alcohol.
The temperature, container, time of bottling and the variant of the beer are all factors to consider. There are recommended guidelines to help ensure the beer gets stored and served optimally.
Understanding why beer storage is so crucial isn't only to ensure the quality of the beer remains high, but also to prevent common issues, such as knowing when a beer has spoiled and how to extend its shelf life. The prevalence of myths and rumors about how to store beer only muddy the waters, so here's everything you need to know about beer storage.
How Do You Know When Beer Goes Bad?
Several telltale signs indicate the cold one you've just popped open may be past its prime, including:
No "psst" noise: That noise, coupled with white foam climbing to the top, shows the beer is fresh and ready for consumption.
Flat taste: Even if you hear the "psst" and see foam, if you taste the beer and find it's flat or a little off, that's another indicator it may have gone bad.
Faded label: If your bottle has a faded or discolored label or is dusty, there's a good chance the beer is well past its best-before date. While beer is still OK to drink after the best-before date, it needs excellent storage to be worth drinking weeks or months after.
Sediment: If you look at the base of the bottle and find some sediment comfortably settled at the bottom, it's best to avoid drinking the beer.
Leakage: If you find any seepage around the bottle's opening, it may suggest the bottle — and, inevitably, the beer within — was subject to extreme heat at some point.
Why Does Beer Go Bad?
Beer is an organic substance, meaning it contains chemical compounds from living things — namely, yeast. Improper storage allows the following factors to affect the beer and lead to spoilage.
1. Exposure to Sunlight
One of the reasons you'll often see beer stored in dark bottles is to protect the liquid from the sun's UV rays. These rays create a chemical reaction in the beer, breaking down its flavor components until the beverage smells and tastes like skunk spray. That's why beer that has been exposed to sunlight for too long is said to have been “skunked" or “lightstruck.”
2. Exposure to Oxygen
Similarly, overexposure to oxygen leads to a breakdown of the beer's chemicals, which can significantly alter the taste for better or worse. Bottled beer is at a higher risk of exposure to oxygen than canned beer, and storing beer upright is an excellent way to minimize contact with the air. Keeping bottled beer on its side makes it prone to air leaks.
3. Presence of Bacteria
Bacteria are an unusual culprit. It can be hard for bacteria to survive in beer thanks to beer's high alcohol content, which acts as a natural preservative. However, if bacteria do make their way into the beer, they will eat away at it.
This problem is less significant for commercial brewers who take great pains to reduce bacterial contact, but you can increase craft beer shelf life by refrigerating it. The colder temperature also ends up slowing the life cycle of microbes that live in the beer, such as the yeast used to create it.
Can You Drink Expired Beer?
The short answer is yes, you can. The longer answer is that you probably won't like it.
While you probably won't get grievously ill from drinking expired beer, it may give you a bit of a stomachache. The taste is likely to be the biggest disappointment since it's usually either flat, skunky or just dissatisfying.
How Long Does Beer Last?
A good rule of thumb is to refer to the best-before date. While it won't immediately expire once it reaches the date — assuming you store it correctly — the quality will start declining after that point. Improper storage will make that decline happen even quicker.
Once you've cracked open a beer, you'll usually want to drink it right away. Letting it sit allows it to oxidize and lose carbonation — and nobody likes flat beer. That isn't to say that preserving opened beer is impossible. Your best bet is to reseal it with an airtight cap or stopper to reduce oxidization and prevent carbonation loss.
Beer Storage by Container
Kegs
The clock starts on kegs as soon as they get filled and sealed. Even an untapped keg is best used sooner rather than later, so first-in, first-out is a good rule of thumb if you plan to store multiple kegs.
Make sure to keep kegs in a cool, dry space and away from other foods. It's essential to avoid freezing the kegs since freezing the beer will likely alter its taste. Avoid moving them around too much, because that can increase the amount of foam that will spurt out when you tap the keg.
Bottles and Cans
Packaged beer is best stored in a dry and cool — but not freezing — place. Temperatures between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit are optimal for packaged beer. Make sure the bottles remain upright!
Generally speaking, you can prolong a canned or bottled beer's shelf life by keeping it just below room temperature or just above typical refrigerator temperatures. If you have no way of measuring the temperature, though, you can keep your unopened beer in the fridge, where it will remain its best quality for up to eight months. You can also keep your unopened cans or bottles at room temperature, where they will stay the best quality for up to six months.
Growlers
The best way to store growlers is upright in a cool, dark space. The airtight lid will ensure the beer remains fresh for several days and even longer if the bar that filled the growler did so with carbon dioxide. Once opened, the beer will stay fresh for up to 36 hours.
Other Containers
The above guidelines are more appropriate for draft and packaged beers. Home-brews and microbrews will likely have a shorter lifespan, even with adequate storage. The life span of open beer, regardless of its container, will be notably shorter thanks to external factors like air, light and potentially bacteria.
Shelf Life of Beer by Type
As we mentioned before, the variety or style of the beer also plays a role in its shelf life. There are various methods of brewing different beers, so the shelf life of dark beers differs from that of barrel-aged beers.
Light Beers
Light beers are usually lower in alcohol, so you'll want to drink them within three months of their packaging date. This category includes pale ales, wheat beers and lagers, as well as lower-calorie versions of other types of beer. It also includes India pale ales (IPAs), though their alcohol by volume (ABV) tends to be higher.
IPAs can last as long as 12 months, but you may see a decrease in quality after a couple of months. Wheat beers and brown ales are similar and best enjoyed within four months.
Dark Beers
Heavier beers like stouts and porters have a longer shelf life at about six months. You can enjoy peak flavors when you enjoy these beers within 180 days of packaging.
Barrel-Aged Beers
As the name suggests, barrel-aged beers are sometimes better the longer they stay on the shelf. These beers, including sour ales and imperial beers, tend to have higher alcohol content and need time to reach their peak flavor. The souring agent in ales doesn't stop working until several years later, which means that the beer's taste can continue to evolve long after packaging. Oxidization ends up being a benefit for barrel-aged beers, and the barrels allow small amounts of air to interact with the beer over a longer period to take advantage of the chemical reactions.
Beers that can benefit from longer storage may also be candidates for keeping in cellars. However, it's not possible to cellar all beers — even those with a long shelf life. Storing beer correctly is crucial, and to do that, you need to know what does and doesn't work for a particular type of beer.
How Does Beer Storage Impact Taste and Aroma?
Proper storage helps prevent unwanted chemical reactions that can affect flavor and overall aroma. Ideally, you should store your beer at the same temperature you intend to serve it — since different beers taste best at specific temperatures, you'll want to take the type of beer you're drinking into consideration before setting the thermostat.
Storing beer in a location that's too warm — usually room temperature and above — will usually lead to it spoiling faster. And if you leave bottled beer in a space where it could be directly exposed to sunlight, you could end up with bitter “lightstruck” beer.
Special Considerations for Home-Brewed Beer
If you'd like to brew your own beer, you'll want to make sure you store it properly. Unless you have access to commercial canning or bottling equipment, it will likely be more susceptible to the environment than beer from a brewery.
Home-brewed beer goes through its final stage of fermentation in whatever container you put it in, which is why you should carefully consider your options:
Glass bottles: Bottles are affordable and easy to store, but sanitizing them between brews is a labor-intensive, time-consuming process.
Kegs: While kegging your home-brew takes much longer than bottling, it provides more control over the carbonation.
During the fermentation process, you'll want to store your home-brew somewhere warm so the yeast can get to work. Then, place it in the fridge or cooler so it'll be the perfect temperature for drinking.
How to Store Beer for Aging
Aging, or “cellaring,” beer can help bring out its subtle bready or earthy tones, creating a more complex flavor profile.
That said, you want to make sure you choose the right beer for this purpose. Full-bodied, high-ABV beers usually age well in the right conditions. Some examples include:
Strong ales
Dark malts
Imperial stouts
Barley wines
Belgian lambics
Barrel-aged sours
Lighter, hoppier brews like pale ales, IPAs and wheat beers aren't good candidates for cellaring because the hops will break down over time — for the best flavor, enjoy these fresh.
Creating a Beer Cellar
Although beer doesn't usually age like wine, you still need to keep it in a controlled environment. There are three factors you need to consider:
Temperature: Keep your beer cellar fairly cool — too warm, and it will accelerate aging and oxidation. A good rule of thumb to follow is around 10 degrees below the beer's fermentation temperature.
Light: To prevent skunking, store cellared beer in a dark place where it won't be exposed to direct sunlight.
Movement: Store your beer somewhere out of the way so you won't need to move it around. Too much movement can cause chemical changes, which will affect its overall flavor.
When you're ready to drink, slowly taper your aged beer into a glass first — this will help keep the inactive malt proteins at the bottom of the bottle so you can enjoy your brew.
How to Store Beer Long-Term
When in doubt about storage methods, a foolproof tactic is to contact the brewery directly for advice. However, that may be a solution best suited to specific cases. Most beer needs only three things to preserve or prolong its life span:
1. Correct Storage
Storage, as we've already mentioned, depends on factors like packaging — in a bottle, can, keg or growler — and what type of beer it is. A cool, dark place is the universal ideal, with the definition of "cool" being distinctly between room temperature and freezing.
2. Upright Position
It's best to keep larger containers, like kegs, away from other foodstuffs to reduce any risk of contamination. You should always try to store beer containers standing up, rather than on their sides. Even if you're aging beer in a cellar, upright is the way to go, coupled with minimal movement.
3. Temperature Control
Light — even fluorescent light — and heat can quickly accelerate a beer's best-before date, so refrigeration is always a better option than leaving it at room temperature. The cold will help slow down the aging process, which essentially begins immediately after packaging. The dark keeps the beer safe from the effects of UV rays, as well as the heat.
If you buy a lot of beer you don't plan to consume for several weeks or months, keeping it in the fridge — not the freezer — is the best way to maintain more of its original taste. If there's no room in the fridge, a cool, dark area is the next best thing, ideally one in which the beer can remain undisturbed until you're ready to drink it.
For cellar-appropriate beers, it's also essential to remember that beer is not like wine, meaning you can't leave it to age for years and expect the flavor to continue improving. While some aging will change the taste of beer for the better, letting it sit too long will help it go bad.
How to Properly Dispose of Old Beer
Beer generally isn't a threat to the local environment — even if it's expired — so you technically can pour it down the drain and toss the container in the recycling bin. But why not try putting it to good use first?
If you just have a few cans or bottles lying around, there are several ways you can recycle your expired beer:
Bug repellant: Lure the bugs away from your backyard barbecue by placing buckets of stale beer around the perimeter of your property.
Rust dissolver: Apply expired beer to rusty metal and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Once the beer's had enough time to break the rust down, wipe your item clean with an old cloth.
Stain remover: Pour a little flat beer over stains and rub it in using a rag. Once the stain goes away, blot the area dry with a clean cloth.
If you need to get rid of a keg or more, you'll need to take some extra care. The Brewers Association recommends taking the following precautions for emptying kegs of spoiled beer:
Push the beer from the kegs using compressed air.
If you must use compressed carbon dioxide to empty the keg, make sure you're outside or in a well-ventilated space.
Wear protective gear on your hands and eyes.
Secure the loose hose end to prevent it from flailing and hitting someone.
Stay within the keg's working pressure.
You can also bring your beer to an industrial distillery for recycling, though you may need to follow hazardous waste transport regulations.
Enjoy Fine Craft Beer at Thompson Island
At Thompson Island, our goal is to provide more than good food. We aim to offer a delicious meal accompanied by a perfectly paired craft beer amid a joyous atmosphere. A casual getaway from the beach, we are Coastal Delaware's premier destination for craft beer, pub foods and good times.
We pride ourselves on our locally sourced, fresh ingredients and also on the time we spend training and educating our team. We ensure all customers have a memorable experience from the moment they enter our doors until the second they leave. We strive to make guests eager to return to experience our exceptional service, unique chef's menu and our popular beer garden that offers various games.
Check out our extensive selection of craft beer on tap, or choose a new favorite with our tastings, flights and crowlers. No reservations are necessary, so you're welcome to drop in anytime between noon and 9 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday or from noon to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Or, come see us for happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day from Sunday to Friday.
For more information, get in touch by calling 302-309-9887.
