Stats for a long lasting beer...

Hey,

I'm looking to start on beers that are going to last for six months or more and still be yummy. I know that most beers, like imperial stouts or IPAs, are hoppier or higher in alcohol, but I'm more of a numbers person and am wondering at what percentage ABV my beers should be and what normal hop levels should be. I'm looking for beers that will last up to a year in the bottle.

Any suggestions or tips?

Thanks,

Josh

Depending on your sanitation skills and practices as well as the environment the brew will be stored, you are not limited to a level of alcohol and hopage.

Yes, it is true that some of your higher ABV or more agressively hopped beers due tend to store better and longer, you can store most any beer up to a year if done right.

But if you are just looking for a number to shoot for to get a brew that will be forgiving when aging, shoot for an ABV of 8% or more or an IBU rating in the 70's or above.

BTW, are you looking to be able to drink it during the entire aging process or after it has aged this long?

Filtration and Campden tablets will help stabilize any beer for longer shelf life. For these techniques, you'll have to force carbonate.

Thanks much for the info. I'm looking to drink this beer in-between anywhere between a month and a half to a year.

MellowToad said:

Thanks much for the info. I'm looking to drink this beer in-between anywhere between a month and a half to a year.

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Look into saisons if you want something more drinkable but with a slightly higher ABV. The style was created just for these situations.

Smoke is also a very good preservative, and does really nice things with age.

Jamil has said on a couple of shows that he feels (non-scientifically) that beers with roasted grains last longer than those without.