Just opened a bottle from my first batch ever

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

gritmaster

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2008
Messages
69
Reaction score
1
Almost exactly 5 years ago I brewed my first batch ever. The extract version of MoreBeer's Irish Red. I didn't know what the hell I was doing back then. I saved a few bottles of that first batch, though, and opened the first of the 'reserved' bottles today in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

I am surprised by how great the beer still is. Very malt forward on the nose as well as taste-wise, as expected. But this 5-year old, extract-based beer, brewed by an amateur, is better than 95% of beer you'll buy at the store.

Just thought I'd share this testament as to how great home brewing is!
 
Wow, didn't think five year old beer would be good. Congratulations!
 
Wow, didn't think five year old beer would be good. Congratulations!

I didn't either!! I thought I was going to take one sip and have to pour the rest down the drain. But the beer was smooth, carbonated, full-bodied, and *still* a great beer, even after 5 years.
 
Wow, didn't think five year old beer would be good. Congratulations!

If you managed to get the beer successfully packaged without any loose caps or overly introducing any oxygen during the process, store them somewhere dark and constantly cool, say around 50f or cooler, there's no reason why they shouldn't keep for a good number of years. Also, the stronger the ABV the better they're suited to lengthy aging.
 
Wow, didn't think five year old beer would be good. Congratulations!

If your sanitation is solid and you didn't oxidize the beer, there's no reason that it wouldn't be good.

Sure, you'll lose hop aromas and flavors with time, but malt forward (and especially, higher ABV beers) can keep for a very long time and still be good.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top