shelf life

Does anyone know the shelf life of homebrew? My brew is typically not around long enough for it to be a concern. However, I have a few brews now that I would like to submit in HB contest the first week of Novemeber.

Thanks in advance.

I have read 6 months to a year depending on storage temps, the amount of hops, proper sanitation, etc. I have tried a few of mine at well over a year and they still tasted okay, but getting a little stale (for lack of a better term)

The majority of your average ales will hit their peak in 6 - 8 months. There are always beers that are best young and many that age very well. If you think the taste of your beer is at its best right now then I'd crash them so they'd be at their clearest and it'll stop the aging process. If not, put them somewhere dark that'll stay in the neighborhood of 65 - 70°F until you're ready to ship them out.

Wild

If you keg your beer, your best bet is to wait until the last minute to bottle it from the keg before sending it off. I've had keg beer last 4 or 5 months. I'm swearing off counter pressure bottling and now filling right from the tap. If you bottle condition your beer, I think long term storage is pretty stable.