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brewd00d · 01-20-2011, 01:42 AM

Is there an expiration date on the length of time that beer can stay in the bottles at room temperature?

Im getting married in June and for the wedding favor for the guests im going to make a Hefeweizen but call it "Hefewedding".

I just ordered my beer and i wanna make it maybe next month, im figuring the beer will be bottled maybe the end of march beginning of april. I plan on bottling about 150-180 bottles, i know the beer gets better tasting and better looking the longer it sits.

Any thoughts?

Redpiper · 01-20-2011, 01:45 AM

You should be fine for June. Search this question and you'll find some discussion on it. Typically the darker beers last longer than the lighter one, but I think any beer is okay for the 3-4 month period you're describing.

**msa8967** · 01-20-2011, 02:49 AM

Wheat beers are best if they are drank within 3 months of bottling. Are the ingredients you are using all-grain, crushed all-grain or extract?

**JLem** · 01-20-2011, 03:06 AM

once they carb up, I would want to keep them as cool as possible, especially a hefe

**weirdboy** · 01-20-2011, 03:20 AM

It's not strictly necessary to keep the bottles refrigerated, although it does help preserve the flavor longer that way. I have had some fairly light, fruity beers like my strawberry blonde after 18+ months sitting in bottles at room temp and they are still really good, although not as good as when they were 2 months old.

However in particular with hefeweizens and witbiers they are supposed to be cloudy and that stuff tends to drop out after a while. If you leave them sitting for a few months all the yeast and proteins will compact on the bottom and you'll end up with a really clear hefe.

mummasan · 01-20-2011, 05:55 AM

Keep 'em cool. Make sure the caps are on good and tight and they will last a long time.

I just opened a one year old bottle, the cap wasn't on properly and that beer turned into malt vinegar. Another six bombers I bottled in March to drink in Nov/Dec and the hot summer months in my closet woke up the residual yeast and overcarbed the beers. Didn't taste good.

Future beers I age will be kept cool.

Frodo · 01-20-2011, 07:46 AM

I had some very bitter english pale ale (OG around 1.055 as I recall?) bottles start to develop a weird mucky layer at the bottom of the bottle after about 6 months at room temp. I doubt you gain much on a normal strength beer keeping it at room temp over about a month and a half... BTW never figured out what it was, but the beer tasted fine - it was really difficult to pour though without getting some muck in the glass.

**bovineblitz** · 01-20-2011, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mummasan

Keep 'em cool. Make sure the caps are on good and tight and they will last a long time.

I just opened a one year old bottle, the cap wasn't on properly and that beer turned into malt vinegar. Another six bombers I bottled in March to drink in Nov/Dec and the hot summer months in my closet woke up the residual yeast and overcarbed the beers. Didn't taste good.

Future beers I age will be kept cool.

A hefeweizen won't be that great 5 months from the brew date, IMO.

brewd00d · 01-20-2011, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by msa8967

Wheat beers are best if they are drank within 3 months of bottling. Are the ingredients you are using all-grain, crushed all-grain or extract?

Im doin an extract.

edie · 01-20-2011, 05:04 PM

Im getting married in June and for the wedding favor for the guests im going to make a Hefeweizen but call it "Hefewedding".

^ CLEVER ^

Congrats on the engagement!