Shelf life

[Louz]

Is it ok to leave newly bottled beers boxed up at room temperature for awhile?
Whats the shelf life generally? Do different beer styles effect shelf life?

 

[whiskeyjack]

Depends on your definition of awhile. Shelf life and drinking it while its fresh to style are two different things. Beers will last months in a bottle however, depending on style they will lose the taste and flavor they were brewed for. Generally the hoppier the beer the sooner it has to be drank.

 

[kh54s10]

Right, It really depends on the style and what you are looking for. A light hoppy beer will lose aroma and flavor relatively quickly. A high alcohol heavy dark beer needs age for the flavors to mellow and blend. I did a Russian Imperial Stout that was harsh until over 6 months aging in the bottles. It hit peak flavor at about a year and was still at or near peak when I finished the last one at almost 2 years.

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

What both of them said.
But... if you JUST bottled the beer then you MUST leave it at room temperature so it will carbonate.
If you refrigerate the newly bottle (uncarbonated) beer then it will not carbonate.

 

[seatazzz]

What brandonlovesbeer said. If you just bottled it, you actually want it at room temperature (or a tad warmer) so the residual yeast will do their thing and carbonate. This takes about 2-3 weeks depending on the style and FG.

 

[Louz]

What brandonlovesbeer said. If you just bottled it, you actually want it at room temperature (or a tad warmer) so the residual yeast will do their thing and carbonate. This takes about 2-3 weeks depending on the style and FG.

True for IPA's?

 

[whiskeyjack]

Yes, some styles take months. Ipa's you want to drink em asap so 2-3 weeks is right on. Try a bottle or two at 2 weeks and see how it is, then a few more at three weeks. If they are carbed toss them into a fridge if possible.

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

It doesn’t matter what style you brew. If it’s not carbonated, then it’s not carbonated. Either way you gotta wait.

If you refrigerate them, the yeast will go dormant. Result? Flat beer.

I typically bottle a few in 8oz coke bottles for carb testing purposes. That way I don’t waste a full bottle to test carbonation.

 

[kh54s10]

I try to wait 3 weeks for all of my beers, I feel all of my beers have tasted better at 3 weeks or longer. But, I often sneak a bottle at 2 weeks. I would say that 95% of them had carbonation at 2 weeks. Some big beers took a lot longer. And beers like Russian Imperial Stouts take months to mellow and for the flavors to blend.

 

[Kharnynb]

I do the same, sneak one bottle into the fridge about 9-10 days after bottling and check it in the weekend(giving it 4 days fridge to reabsorb the co2).

rough guide:
2 weeks minimum room temperature for all beers to carb up, 3 weeks is better.
Cellar/fridge for a week to reabsorb the co2 in the headspace and drop yeast out of beer.

Ipa, drink quite fast after it is done, 2-3 months in cold cellar, maybe 2 months in warm room for best taste.
APA, other milder styles, 3-4 months for best taste, 3ish for warmer rooms.
Pilsner and most lagers would need cellar time anyway, but need to be stored cold, just a bit above freezing for best results.
Darker, heavier beers can take months just to start to get good, some of my quads still got more interesting after 3 years.