use by date?

does homebrew have an "expiry date" once it has been bottled? Or should it be consumed within a certain amount of time?...thanks

It should be dunk in a certain amount of time. Part of the beauty of homebrew is that it's fresh. Beer is better fresh, as opposed to wine.

I wouldn't know what date exactly to put on my beer, but maybe a year max?

A lot depends on how your home brew is stored. If you keep it at room temperature you will probably want to consume it within 6 months. If it's refrigerated it might last much longer. I had a bottle of home brew that was 3 years old in the back of the fridge. It tasted pretty darn good.
Another factor is the type of beer. Big beers usually require much more conditioning before they reach their peak. Barley Wines can take years to be at their best.

If it is kept at celler temperatures, and your racking/bottles were sanitized well, it can be kept for years.

Dennys Fine Consumptibles said:

If it is kept at celler temperatures, and your racking/bottles were sanitized well, it can be kept for years.

Click to expand...

yup. It all depends on the style of beer and the level of hoppiness it should have. Beers lose their hoppiness after a while (It blends and mellows). If your a hop head you may want to cry now. If you're like me and a malt monster you wont care at all