Saving a bottle from every batch...

My first batch of homebrew was on Labor Day, 2011. Since then I have brewed maybe 8 times. I have also made two batches of Apfelwein.

Up until now, I have saved a single 12 oz. bottle from each batch. They are collecting dust in a dark corner of my basement. I got to thinking... why am I doing this? They are all relatively low gravity ales and shouldn't keep well for the long haul. I almost threw them in the fridge the other day and I decided to poll ya'll instead. (note: no poll actually included in thread, I know this!)

Is this a habit that you are into? Should I continue to save them and then someday... do something... with them? Or should I chuck them in the fridge and drink them tomorrow?!

I keep a six pack from each batch. I save them so when family or distant friends visit, I can share with them my previous batches. And then one day I run out of one batch but luckily I sill have others

I try to save some, especially for when I make the same batch again. So far, I've only saved one though, from a year ago. It's my Christmas Ale, and the last batch I did partial mash. I did an AG version about a month ago, so now I'm waiting to taste them side by side.

I do the exact same thing, one bottle from each batch. Initially it was to compare to the next time I brewed the same thing, but now I'm starting to think it'll be a reminder of how much I sucked when I started out, when I crack them in a year.

I haven't bothered saving any beyond the point when I naturally run out. Unless I do something really high gravity, which is unlikely other than for batches of mead, I don't foresee doing this. When people come to visit, they get whatever is available at the time. I brew often enough and drink slowly enough that I've currently got at least some of three beers and a cider that are ready now, and a fourth beer that's in bottles and a couple weeks from being ready. That's plenty of variety for my needs.

For batches where I've made elaborate labels, I cap an empty bottle with a label on it, but that's it.

When I pop that last bott-'ole of beer from a batch, I write a poem with permanent marker to a virginal CD primed for a nostalgic bunch of music uncompressed and meaningful to the very short lived era of aforementioned batch.

Okay so maybe I should.

What are you saving them for? If it's to cellar them if they are a beer meant to age, that's fine. But if they are relatively low OG beers that aren't meant to age well, I can't see aging them.

I've been keeping a 6-pack from all my beers(only stated bout 6 months ago). We are having a big winter vacation with a bunch of friends who havn't gotten to taste my beers yet. I figure I'd do a beer tasting when they all get togeather and I think by tasting them all side by side I will be able to taste alot of the sudtle differences better. great idea but have a reason for it I think.

I have a BUNCH of beer in my "Archive". More than I should in all actuality. I had a couple bottle bombs as well but overall I am happy with the idea of storing them.

I have about 12 beers from my 1st ever batch over 2.5 years old and it was an extract AHS Pale ale kit. It is funny how everyone says "the hop flavor fades"...this beer, for what ever reason, says different. Not much for aroma but it still has plenty of flavor.

The other reason I like to save some is because I will never know when life happens and I do not get to brew for an extended period of time. Sitting on a pile of finished beer is a fate I am willing to accept!

I worry that many of the session ales will not keep unless I brew the second batch relatively soon so that I can compare. Based on the recipes, I plan on making slight changes so it would be nice to have the original to compare to - but the comparison isn't really fair given that the first ale will have aged for a long time and may have stale off flavors. I'm hoping my records/logs and tasting notes do them justice so that I can tell if any recipe changes are for the better. Either way, we can always simply RDWAHAHB.

I'd suggest saving a 6 pack from each batch...and having a beer dinner when you get 6 batches in!

andycr said:

I do the exact same thing, one bottle from each batch. Initially it was to compare to the next time I brewed the same thing, but now I'm starting to think it'll be a reminder of how much I sucked when I started out, when I crack them in a year.

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And maybe it will just be a reminder that a lot of beers should be enjoyed fresh.
I'm a proponent of keeping good notes about process as well as taste, and most importantly....did I enjoy it? If you're keeping them around for nostalgic reasons, Id say great! If you're keeping them around to compare to another batch then you'll never be apples to apples. Even if its a beer that should be aged, you'll never be able to truly compare two batches unless both were made at approximately the same time and allowed to age together.

I hold one back from each batch for six months. It started as a way to prove to myself that I should brew often enough that I could cellar my brews for several months instead of keeping half a step ahead of having to run to the store.

Last brew day I made a second batch of a recipe based solely on how much better the cellared bottle was that the green beer I plowed through. I still haven't managed to put together a six month cushion though.

Drink them!

I could see a six pack of beer that would age. Pop the top on one from time to time and note the change. Maybe one day have the willpower to make a batch that you don't even bother to taste until it's at least a year old.

How many bottles have you got? Enough for a drunk down memory lane?

501irishred said:

And maybe it will just be a reminder that a lot of beers should be enjoyed fresh.
I'm a proponent of keeping good notes about process as well as taste, and most importantly....did I enjoy it? If you're keeping them around for nostalgic reasons, Id say great! If you're keeping them around to compare to another batch then you'll never be apples to apples. Even if its a beer that should be aged, you'll never be able to truly compare two batches unless both were made at approximately the same time and allowed to age together.

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Yeah, need to get the time machine working to fix that minor wrinkle.

send them to me, I will let you know if they were still good.