Shelf Life of Guinness

[joety]

Anyone else notice that Guiness has a very limited shelf life. I've brewed a stout or two over the years and don't recall them going bad quickly, but I have a twelve pack of Guiness bottles (with the sudser thingy inside) I've had for a few months and kept on ice and it now has that mild cider taste and the maltiness is gone, telltale signs of good beer gone bad.

 

[Aleforge]

Yep I have noticed, it might be because its such a light beer. Plus who knows if that widget does anything to it over time or not?

 

[SmugMug]

I blame the widget trolls.

 

[conpewter]

I haven't noticed it, but wouldn't doubt it. I wonder if it has anything to do with pasteurization. Even my light beers are fine months later.

 

[purechaos]

i have never had Guinness last 2 weeks in my house, i also prefer the cans over the bottles.

i could never accept the bottles. possibly because i dont like change, or maybe b/c i like my pint glass full.

 

[Aleforge]

I gotta admit I don't care for it as much as I use to years ago. I don't know if its just because its not so "out of the box" as it was on my younger palate. Or if the recipe has been slightly altered making a more watered down product? Something just doesn't seem right with it these days. I also have to agree though that the cans taste better then the bottles for some odd reason.

 

[FlyingHorse]

i could never accept the bottles. possibly because i dont like change, or maybe b/c i like my pint glass full.

The widget bottles aren't meant to be poured; you're "supposed" to drink them straight from the bottle (which is reason enough not to like them).

Probably just marketing hype to get you to accept 11.2 ounces in a beer...'course, a 14.9 oz can won't get you a full proper pint glass, either

 

[JMG680]

Never noticed it, But Guinness goes fast in my house, the SWMBO or me kill em fast.

Guinness Is Good!

 

[Aleforge]

Have you tried Three Floyds Black Sun Stout? I prefer it well over Guinness for the style.

 

[joety]

OT: Three Floyds has yet to make a mediocre beer, at least, not one that I've sampled and I've tried everything I've found. They are my favorite brewery pound for pound, just wish their beers were easier to find and were a tad cheaper, but I can't blame anyone for charging more for a superior product.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I think guinness is one of those beers you drink when you first venture outside of BMC thinking you're cool. But then you get into beer and have some decent stouts and realize it's not "Dark and Chewy" like you thought. I'd love to try the actual stuff from Ireland though. But I won't get guinness anymore. It's to watery.

OT: Three Floyds has yet to make a mediocre beer

I can't wait to open my Bottle of DL from Conpewter in October. It will be my first Three Floyds.

 

[GuitarBob]

I've noticed the same problem when I bought Guinness on sale a few months ago. The taste I expected just wasn't there anymore. I guess it must have been sitting out for awhile. I've never had that problem whenever I bought Guinness in cans. Maybe the can protects the beer better.

Of course you can't reuse cans, and the Guinness bottles look great, so it's a tough desicion.

 

[Aleforge]

Isn't it tough to get the widget out of bottles to reuse them?

 

[GuitarBob]

I think guinness is one of those beers you drink when you first venture outside of BMC thinking you're cool. But then you get into beer and have some decent stouts and realize it's not "Dark and Chewy" like you thought.

That's a good point. I definitely remember the first Guinness I ever had, tasted a lot more intense then they do now. I remember not being sure whether I really liked it or really hated it. Though I never thought of it has chewy.

Regardless because Guinness was the first beer I really loved, it will always hold a special place with me. In fact I'm the mood for one right now.

 

[GuitarBob]

Isn't it tough to get the widget out of bottles to reuse them?

Just use a pair of needle-nose pliers, and you shouldn't have much trouble. Sometimes I can't seem to get a grip on the little widget, but it's still easier then trying to de-label most beer bottles.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Just use a pair of needle-nose pliers, and you shouldn't have much trouble. Sometimes I can't seem to get a grip on the little widget, but it's still easier then trying to de-label most beer bottles.

these are the easiest IMO bottles to prep, slice the label, pull it off, tip bottle, grab pith needle nose and pull out. No real force needed at all.

 

[Diablo]

I got a deal (less than half price) on 24 cans that were within a week of their expiry date. I noticed that fruity/cidery off taste. I had previously assumed that canned beer would be good for months after the expiry date.

 

[hukdizzle]

I brewed a dry stout with wlp004 (guinness) yeast and after about a month and a half it developed a cidery taste and it was very thin. Possibly a correlation here?

 

[Marius]

Isn't it tough to get the widget out of bottles to reuse them?

I have 80 bottles of Guinness in wich I bottle one batch every two months, quite easy to get the widget out with my Leatherman ¿pruners? (don´t know the exact word in English). The bottle is really nice and has a slight curve in the bottom wich makes it much easier to leave the yeast in it.

About the changes in the taste of Guinness i agree with all you who say it has changed a lot in the last years, watery is the word.

Anyway, once you tryed a homebrew stout, nothing will be the same.

 

[conpewter]

I love the Guinness bottles, I know they are less than 12 ounces but I just like the feel of them, I make sure to keep those if I can

 

[SmugMug]

I love the Guinness bottles, I know they are less than 12 ounces but I just like the feel of them, I make sure to keep those if I can

They feel like the old glass Coke bottles to me.