Statute of Limitations on Homebrew

[ddwill]

Assuming that you sterilize properly, have proper alc and hops, etc. How long can you let bottled beer sit around. I can only assume that at some point beer begins to degrade, and likely long before commercial brews.

 

[Parker36]

Depends on the style more than anything. If it has higher ABV, you can (and should) cellar for years. For something like a wheat, you are better off drinking earlier.

 

[Revvy]

Assuming that you sterilize properly, have proper alc and hops, etc. How long can you let bottled beer sit around. I can only assume that at some point beer begins to degrade, and likely long before commercial brews.

Depends on the beers, and how they were stored.

In the Nov./Dec 2007 issue of Zymurgy, Charlie Papazian reviewed a bunch of the winners of the National Homebrewer's Conference that he had in storage going back to the 1986 Blitzweizen Barleywine Honey Wheat Lager.

And he must have kept accurate tasting notes when he origianly sampled them, because he was able to compared them, and how'd the matured, or mellowed over time.

Somebeers, don't even begin to taste good for a number of month or more. Some like light lagers, and low grav/abv beers are meant to be consumed quickly.

If you want to know roughly the bare minimum of feremntation/conditioning time based on the style of beer, get a copy of Northern Brewer's catalog, they actually list the time needed in primary, secondary and bottle conditionary for each of their kits.

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

If you want to know roughly the bare minimum of feremntation/conditioning time based on the style of beer, get a copy of Northern Brewer's catalog, they actually list the time needed in primary, secondary and bottle conditionary for each of their kits.

It is a good guide, but they greatly over state the aging time for a few of their beers, at least in my experience.

 

[conpewter]

Really depends on the beer. I'd say the longest I'd probably go is 20 years or so on a big barleywine. Most middle of the road beers will peak at 6 months to a year and then still be good for a long while after that.

 

[Revvy]

It is a good guide, but they greatly over state the aging time for a few of their beers, at least in my experience.

I kinda consider it a "rule of thumb" kinda thing, general guidelines, especially for new brewers, not something etched in stone....but it's the only list I've ever seen...so I guess it's better than nothing...but it does kinda show that higher grav beers need time to mellow...

 

[conpewter]

I think another point to make is that homebrew really should taste better longer than a store bought beer. The more common commercial beers are filtered to get rid of any yeast (and some say flavor) and thus they have only one direction to go...downward. Homebrew has live yeast in it still and will mature as it gets older.

 

[mmb]

Assuming that you sterilize properly, have proper alc and hops, etc. How long can you let bottled beer sit around. I can only assume that at some point beer begins to degrade, and likely long before commercial brews.

Hop bitterness drops out and brings a malty smoothness forward. There may be some sherry notes from oxidation, but not many.

I've forgotten about bottles of Irish Red Ale that aged three years before being discovered. Very tasty. I just recently found a case of Nottingham fermented Apfelwein that I bottled in 2002. Un-figgin'-believable.

 

[russb123]

In the beginning of John Palmer's "How to brew" he says that depending on how well you manged your oxygen exposure a common beer will be good for 6 months.

He was referring to a recipe for an American Pale Ale.

This is an assumption but I would guess that covers most beers with a ABV of around 6% or less.

 

[bashe]

I have a bottle of Ballantines XXX Ale at home that is 70 years old that I plan on drinking one day.
I have a friend who is a home brewer who has some bottles in his basement that are 10 years old and those beers are still good.

 

[syd138]

If Im brewing a batch of Heffe Weizen right now..
How long do I want to keep it bottled before I drink it?

 

[tom777]

I'd give it at least 3 weeks for proper carbonation.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

How long was it in the fermenter? If you did a two or three week ferment, then bottled. That wheat will be good to go in 2-3 weeks. My rule de' thumb os 5 weeks grain to glass for a wheat.