Aging beer - 365 days at 3C same as 3 days at 30C?

[shawnduthie]

I remember reading a while back that beer aged at 3C (i.e. in a fridge) will age the same in 365 days (or maybe it was 300) as a beer aged for 3 days at 30C.

Has anyone else heard this and have a link/source where it was first said?

 

[Spartan1979]

I doubt it. Are you talking about lagers or ales. Generally, beers will age faster at warmer temps.

As far as lagers go, if 3 days at 30 was all it took, that's all the big boys would do.

 

[ruger988]

I think he means aging as in cellaring. Not fermenting/brightening/lagering/etc...

What are you trying to age?

 

[ArcaneXor]

It's not quite as simple as that. It's true, in a general sense, that microorganisms will be orders of magnitude more active at 30 degrees than at 2 degrees, but there are many other factors contributing to the quality of aging of the beer as well. I am not sure if anyone has done a properly controlled experiment on this, but the consensus seems to be that most beers benefit from cool (think wine cellar) or cold (think lagering) storage, and that they degrade more quickly at very warm temperatures, or if exposed to repeated temperature fluctuations.

 

[Shred]

I've heard this before too. The analogy I read wasn't about "aging" so much as it was about losing freshness. They compared 1 hour in the trunk of a hot car to a very extended time in the fridge (I forget exactly how long).

I would not use heat as a way to improve my Imperial Stouts.

 

[ruger988]

I've heard this before too. The analogy I read wasn't about "aging" so much as it was about losing freshness. They compared 1 hour in the trunk of a hot car to a very extended time in the fridge (I forget exactly how long).

I would not use heat as a way to improve my Imperial Stouts.

Instead of thinking of it as using heat to improve them... think of it as not putting them in the fridge and stalling them out. I've got a decent cellar, nothing too crazy. My Belgian sours are all in wine coolers, everything else is in refrigerators at right around 48*F.

That being said, given the choice between a mid 30's fridge and room temp, I'd stick with the fridge anyday.

 

[orangehero]

According to Dr. Bamforth on the Brew Strong Hot Side Aeration episode, every 10°C increase you double the rate of staling reactions.

Be aware that aging ≠ maturation, and that proper maturation is a function of both time and appropriate temperature.

 

[Shred]

Instead of thinking of it as using heat to improve them... think of it as not putting them in the fridge and stalling them out. I've got a decent cellar, nothing too crazy. My Belgian sours are all in wine coolers, everything else is in refrigerators at right around 48*F.

That being said, given the choice between a mid 30's fridge and room temp, I'd stick with the fridge anyday.

Agreed... I think you misinterpreted my comment. I would not use HEAT specifically to try and speed up the proper aging process. Temp control, absolutely.