Storing post-carbonating/pre-drinking

Once my Ale beer has been bottle conditioned at room temperature, will the flavor improve/change if I store it in my 40 degree basement for a 2-3 weeks before moving it to the refrigerator for consumption? Does it depend on type of beer, say an Pale Ale vs IPA vs California Common? I've heard storing beer in the refrigerator (after carbonating) is a good idea, but I don't have much space.

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Seriously. I'm not trying to be provocative. Just trying to learn about best storage techniques. Room temp (65-50) vs 40 degree storage after carbonating but before moving to the fridge: good? bad? not really important?

Surely someone has experience/info on this?

I've found that storing it cold is fine. In hoppy beers it seems to preserve the hop characters bit longer. It'll also help clear the beer up, you'd be essentially cold crashing it in bottles

Sorry I did not see this.

At 40 degrees unless you used a lager yeast the yeast is going to go to sleep and fall out of suspension. This is not a bad thing at all and I do it with all my beers before I put them in the fridge. You just have to insure that 100% of the conditioning is finished before you put them in the cellar.

You will notice though doing this that you have a great head of beer and a almost lager looking beer. The yeast cake in the bottle turns hard and it is easier to pour. I keep 2 cases in my cellar and when is empty I put another in cold conditioning while I drink the first one

As long as the beers have carbonated I don't think it will make much difference and may help clear the beers. My beer fridge is about 39-40F, so about the same as your basement. Just remember, some big beers can take more than two or three weeks to carbonate, so if you stick them downstairs too early you might have a problem carbonating them.

@eanderson, @varmintman, & @DoD, thanks very much for the solid advice. I appreciate you three weighing in. Very helpful!

Similar question...most people say something like 2 weeks in bottle, 2 weeks in fridge..but I don't have fridge space for 50 bottles (well I do..but my wife doest...)

My basement floor would probably keep them at 60 or cooler so my plan is to keep them 2 weeks on shelves (mid-low 60's) in basement and then store them closer to or on floor (suspect bottles will be in the 58 range) after that. Then chill a weeks inventory (6-10) in the fridge..rotating so that the ones being drank have a full week. Sound ok???

Yes...I need a fridge in my basement...but that's a little ways off.

Beergazzi said:

Similar question...most people say something like 2 weeks in bottle, 2 weeks in fridge..but I don't have fridge space for 50 bottles (well I do..but my wife doest...)

My basement floor would probably keep them at 60 or cooler so my plan is to keep them 2 weeks on shelves (mid-low 60's) in basement and then store them closer to or on floor (suspect bottles will be in the 58 range) after that. Then chill a weeks inventory (6-10) in the fridge..rotating so that the ones being drank have a full week. Sound ok???

Yes...I need a fridge in my basement...but that's a little ways off.

Click to expand...

It is fine. Like I said before my beer spends all its time warm until I put it into the rotation of 2 or 3 cases in the cellar and then a weeks worth in the fridge. Depending on how much I drink it could stay warm for a couple of months and then a month at 40 before the fridge. I figure the stores leave the beer warm in piles on the floor and in the beer trucks so I should be able to do the same