how long does a homebrew last?

[zodiak3000]

i brewed an APA, ABV about 4.9. curious on how long i can keep it at room temp before it goes bad and also how long it will stay good in the fridge for?

 

[mordantly]

the life will be reduced by half if it is oxidized or at temps above 70s. i had a cream ale go to ****** after 2 weeks in the keg at 75ish. in the refer, if the keg was purged when filled it should last at least a month if its say a wheat. longer if stronger.

 

[jackson_d]

the life will be reduced by half if it is oxidized or at temps above 70s. i had a cream ale go to ****** after 2 weeks in the keg at 75ish. in the refer, if the keg was purged when filled it should last at least a month if its say a wheat. longer if stronger.

are you saying the beer goes bad in a month?

 

[conpewter]

It does depend on the brew, but you'll be fine for several months for any brew that is handled correctly (even at room temp). Lower alcohol beer will mature faster (and then decline) generally. I have a barleywine from about a year and a half ago and it is still getting better. My oatmeal stout gets best after 3 months of aging. On the other hand my mild is getting worse rather than better, but it's over 6 months old now.

Edit: Also it won't "go bad" anytime soon, maybe not be at it's peak flavor, but if brewed well and bottled correctly it will be fine to drink for a very long time (years).

 

[zodiak3000]

my brews are in bottles...

 

[BrewRI]

IMO it depends on when your measuring from. Is it in bottles or in your first (primary) fermenter? Oxygen is the big culprit in making beers no bueno. If you bottle your beer properly, in clean bottles and you cap them correctly, then you can leave them for a number of weeks without a problem. Bottom line, keep them from light and from temperature changes and you should be able to keep them as long as you want. I brewed my first batch ~10 weeks ago but it doesn't taste right so I'm leaving it and checking it every 2-3 weeks, it keeps getting better/smoother.

 

[mordantly]

im sayin the lightest beer known to man that isn't pasteurized and stored correctly at a minimum is gonna last a month. i can only keep one in the refer with the food, so i drink em in about a week.

 

[Soc]

I have never had a beer last more than a week... that's only because it's so delicious my friends and I can't stop drinking it until it's gone.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

I kegged a double chocolate stout back in February, tapped it 8 months later and it could have probably used a bit more aging. If properly stored, your beer will last a long time.

I just sold (one of) my kegerators to a guy the other day, he gave me an APA from his 44th batch that he said he brewed about a year an a half ago. It was tasty, had a bit of a sharp aftertaste I couldnt put my finger on, but it was a good homebrew APA