Refridgeration of Beer after Conditioning

[brewstev]

How important is it to refridgerate your beer after bottling?

Obivously before I plan on drinking the beer I'll cool it down, but I can't always fit a whole batches worth in the fridge. Plus sometimes i dont always store my beer in the fridge or else I'll come back after a weekend away and the room mates will have consumed the whole lot of it.

Dont get me wrong, i love sharing my homebrew but I still enjoy keeping my own reserves so I've just been storing bottles in my closet. So a couple questions:

1.) Does storing beer for long periods of time at room temperature affect the flavor/quality?

2.) Is there an amount of time that a beer should be allowed to cool down before consuming. For example I know that if you put beer in the fridge, the yeast and any sediment floating in the water will most likely become unsuspended and accumulate out of the bottom resulting in clearer beer.

Any insight into this topic would be appreciated, thanks guys

 

[dvdanny]

1.) Does storing beer for long periods of time at room temperature affect the flavor/quality?

absolutely, it makes it taste better.

2.) Is there an amount of time that a beer should be allowed to cool down before consuming. For example I know that if you put beer in the fridge, the yeast and any sediment floating in the water will most likely become unsuspended and accumulate out of the bottom resulting in clearer beer.

I think the general consensus is 48 hrs in the fridge before popping it open. This is just to ensure that the CO2 is fully dissolved into the beer and provide more consistent carbonation. Another advantage is a long cold storage will cause the yeast to compact on the bottom of the bottles that won't stir up as easily (look at Sierra Nevada Pale Ale bottles, great example of clear bottle conditioned beer) and provide clearer beer.

 

[Shooter]

I wouldn't put it anywhere that's really hot, but normal room temps will be fine. Also, try to find a storage place that has an even temperature, no big fluctuations up or down.

 

[brewstev]

absolutely, it makes it taste better.

haha, alright good to know. so hoarding beer from my room mates is resulting in a better tasting beer for me!