Beer serving temperatures

[mcodville]

I know all styles of beer have different serving temperatures. How do you obtain them when bottled? I've always just thrown them in the fridge and drink them cold. For things like stout and ESB it is suggested to drink a bit warmer.

Anyone have any suggestions for storing different styles at different temps? I'm thinking if I know I want a certain beer put it in fridge x amount of hours before I want to drink it.

 

[day_trippr]

So much of this should be personal preference and not taken from a table created by who the hell knows who.

Anyway, I would opt to keep everything at the same refrigerated temperature, and for those styles that might benefit from a warmer serving temperature, pull them out some prescribed time before consumption, as determined by experimentation.

Once you figure how long it takes for a 12 ounce bottle to warm up x degrees you'll likely come up with your own table...

Cheers!

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

Two options come to mind. You can buy multiple fridges and temp control them to always serve your beer at the "perfect temps"...

Or just keep putting them in the fridge. Open and pour as normal, then start to experiment with what temp you enjoy the beer at.

You can't chill a beer (quickly) after it's been opened and poured. You can on the other hand warm it up very easily and effectively. Your hands are around 80-90f and make excellent drink warmers. If I am having a stout or a barleywine or other styles that benefit from warmer serving temp, I pull the bottle out of the fridge cold and pour it like any other beer, then after I get deployed on the couch again I hold the glass in my hand/s like a sippy cup, you hands will transfer a lot of energy into the glass and into the beer.

Serving at perfect temps usually means you end up with beer that's too warm by time you get near the bottom of the glass. Warm it up as you go and you experience the beer at a lot of different temperatures. Not that you can't try and determine "oh it takes 10 minutes for the bottle to warm up to X temp", but really it's so much easier to open and pour cold and warm with your hands (or leave it to whoever you are serving to determine what temp they like their beer at).

 

[Presto]

I keep all of my beers in the fridge to make sure the carbonation is in solution like it should be. For the beers that are supposed to be consumed warmer, I will usually let them set outside the refrigerator for a while (usually 10 or so minutes is plenty) pour them up and hold the glass in my hand until it hits the perfect temp. You'll just have to keep trying until you find your own way. When it comes to drinking beer how you like it, practice makes perfect

 

[bobeer]

yea, just take the beer out of the fridge and let it warm up then serve it when you dig the temp it's at.
Or
Put the beer in the fridge so the c02 gets into solution then take it out and let it warm to room temp the put it in for 20 minutes or so when you want to drink it. I've done this before and it works fine.

 

[mattdee1]

For the more warm-friendly beers (stouts for me) I have tried drinking ice cold, drinking at room temperature right out of storage, drinking after 1-2hrs refrigeration, etc. I think I’ve decided that the beers taste best when I refrigerate them with everything else for at least a few days. When I want one, I pour it and really stretch out the first several sips while the beer warms up a few degrees. Usually the middle ~75% of those beers are fabulous.

For pale/guzzler beers I like them as cold as possible. If my fermentation fridge is not being used, I like to fill it up with bottled beers, stick the control probe on a “dummy” bottle that sits at the back, and set the controller to about 32F. If I’m prepping for a party I’ll do this 2-3 weeks in advance and just let all that beer sit in there just above freezing. By party time, it’s clean, clear, and cold.

 

[ThatVideoKid]

If I want my beer a little warmer, I just take it out of the fridge 10-15 minutes before I drink it. Or if I want to experience a spectrum, I make sure to sip it for a nice long time and see how it changes.