How long will homebrew stay fresh for?

I know it will depend on factors like alcohol content, but is there a general rule of thumb for the average beer?

I'm trying to let them sit a little after bottling to age a bit, but how long is going to be too long?

Thanks!

I've got four bottles of Raspberry Ale that was bottled in April that is still good. I don't know what the upper limit is, this is the longest anything I made has lasted.

The rule for average types of nonbottle-conditioned beers is to get ‘em in the fridge and drink ‘em as soon as possible because for certain, nothing good will happen to the beer by hanging on to it. The exceptions to this rule are with bottle-conditioned beers and some high alcohol beers. Obviously, with bottle-conditioned beers, the beer must carbonate in the bottle and this takes time. Meaning the beer improves for some time and then begins its downhill slide.

Some high alcohol beers improve with age and much of the improvement with these beers is actually a product of oxidation. Many aged big beers, such as barleywines, take on flavors reminiscent of sherry (that also gets much of its flavor from oxidation). I know of no rule of thumb matching the alcohol content of beer with its ability to age gracefully. I typically try to imagine how a beer would taste if it was “rounded out” by age. Many strong beers that do seem to benefit from age are big, malty and balanced by assertive hop bitterness when young. I think this is why many strong ales seem to improve with age. I myself have Belgian Strongs and Chocolate Stouts rounding 4 years.

The only reliable way to monitor a beer and determine when it reaches its peak is to taste it. This requires a whole bunch of the same beer and persistent quality control. Meaning you have to drink your stash and take notes on its progress. Ideally you will note the point when the beer is ever so slightly passed its peak and you can finish off the remainder before the flavor really begins to suffer. You may see a trend with beers under 6% normally hitting their peak between 3 to 6 months. Times may vary depending on cellaring practices.

Hope that helps,
Wild

Helped me!!! Thanks for that insight.

there has been some discussion of yeast autolysis(yeast death) from too long in secondary.
i am curious if this happens in bottle conditioned barleywines that are aged for one or more years??
edit- judging from wilds statement of a belgian and a stout at 4 years old - i guess there is no problem?

Thanks for the insight...

So am I correct in thinking that any beer I have that is less than 6 mos old should remain at room temperature to age, or will it continue to condition and age in a refrigerator?

I'm drinking Hefe Weizen over 1 year old...and have a case of Bock that's over 2...

dave8274 said:

Thanks for the insight...

So am I correct in thinking that any beer I have that is less than 6 mos old should remain at room temperature to age, or will it continue to condition and age in a refrigerator?

Click to expand...

Beer should be aged at celler temperatures. That said my garage got kind of warm this summer but I just finished the last bottle of my barley wine from last October and it was at.

Keep them cool and they're good for 6 months at least. ABV's over 8% last for years.

ive got some bottles im going to be conditioning... but my temps arent that low in my room, could i just let my bottles float around in a big tub of water? (the temp of the water seems to stay around 68)

My basement stays fairly cool. I ferment my beer down there and the strips on the sides of the fermetters are reading 66 degrees right now, they never get higher than 68. Is that "cellar temperatures" or would you consider something cooler than that cellar temps?

I HAVE an extra fridge down there that is empty right now. I guess what I am not sure of is whether I should keep my beer in there. Am I correct in thinking that will condition/carbonate much slower in a fridge than outside the fridge?

Thanks

<Insert Born-On Date joke here>

At least for wine.. cellaring temperatures are typically a very constant 50-55 deg. F and about 60% humidity.

Honestly it depends very much on the beer, and your intentions for it as to the ideal way to store it. It you want to try to "Freeze" (or very much slow down) the aging and associated change in flavor profile, then the refridgerator will be a better idea than just having it sit out.

But if you want to further condition your beer to let it mature a bit then no fridge is needed (assumung it not a lager). HTH

Normal cellaring temp is between 51° - 52°F. The higher the temp, the faster the aging process. Consistency is best but often elusive. The best judge is your taste buds and the worst thing to do is to wait too long. So sample and sample often.

Good luck,
Wild

Hmmmm.... You have all got me thinking about my plan to 'cellar' my next batch. I am planning to brew a Chimay Blue clone from "Beer Captured". (Probably will not be able to resist the urge customize the beer a bit.... but I digress)
The book mentions that this particular beer can improve for up to 10 years! In my wildest dreams, I doubt I could *ever* hang on to homebrew that long! :cross:
I have a dorm fridge which I was planning to use for my cellaring. I set the cooling control to minimum and it seems to be steady at 60 degrees. (The book also mentions 59-60 as an ideal temp for cellaring Chimay Blue)
Is the temp variable depending on the type of beer? I realize that a 9% brew can age longer, but I want to get the temp right the first time.