Hey HBT, I just bottled up my first barleywine in some La Fin du Monde type bottles with champagne corks and cages, hoping to have some nice fancy looking bottles champagne-corked bottles by the time they carb up and age sufficiently. My question is, how important is it to store corked bottles horizontally so that their corks remain hydrated. I have read that this is thge proper way to store wine and mead that has been corked, but it certainly takes up a lot more floor space than having them stored vertically. Imput? Help? Thanks people. :rockin:
Storing corked beer (and wine/mead)
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MizooBrew
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How does it depend on the type of cork? I am using non-synthetic corks, is that what you're referring to? And yeah, the issue of the yeast settling on the bottom makes me reluctant to age them horizontally.
I'm going to assume that by non-synthetic, you mean natural "cork" corks. But, even if it's natural cork, it's usually not a big concern, especially with the length of time beer is stored for.
There's a lot of humidity in the bottle already which should keep the cork from drying out, although on a related note, you want to make sure the air isn't too consistently dry OUTSIDE the bottle. 20% and up most of the time should be sufficient. A fridge will dry it out though. If need be, you can always get a cheap humidifier for your cellar or wherever else you store your beer.
Natural corks can also introduce musty flavor characteristics to the beer and cork taint when touching the beer, which might be okay for some farmhouse ales, but is generally a bad thing.
Also... when you lie the beer flat, you are making it shallower but wider. The "wider" part is the problem, since it means much more of the beer is directly in contact with the air above it, leading to much quicker oxidation.
Basically, unless you're planning on storing that barleywine for well over a dozen years, there's pretty much nothing to worry about. Even then, I wouldn't be concerned. The environment you store it in is the important part - a cool temperature, decent humidity, and limiting UV exposure (keeping them covered or in a box, avoiding fluorescent lights in that room and *ideally* using LED bulbs) are the things to really focus on.
As for the natural corks... I try to avoid those when I can, mainly using them for Bière de Garde, where I *do* store them sideways for at least a month or so.
There's a lot of humidity in the bottle already which should keep the cork from drying out, although on a related note, you want to make sure the air isn't too consistently dry OUTSIDE the bottle. 20% and up most of the time should be sufficient. A fridge will dry it out though. If need be, you can always get a cheap humidifier for your cellar or wherever else you store your beer.
Natural corks can also introduce musty flavor characteristics to the beer and cork taint when touching the beer, which might be okay for some farmhouse ales, but is generally a bad thing.
Also... when you lie the beer flat, you are making it shallower but wider. The "wider" part is the problem, since it means much more of the beer is directly in contact with the air above it, leading to much quicker oxidation.
Basically, unless you're planning on storing that barleywine for well over a dozen years, there's pretty much nothing to worry about. Even then, I wouldn't be concerned. The environment you store it in is the important part - a cool temperature, decent humidity, and limiting UV exposure (keeping them covered or in a box, avoiding fluorescent lights in that room and *ideally* using LED bulbs) are the things to really focus on.
As for the natural corks... I try to avoid those when I can, mainly using them for Bière de Garde, where I *do* store them sideways for at least a month or so.
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MizooBrew
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Although I didn't realized fluorescent lights were bad for aging/storing beer. why is that? I understand why UV is bad, but fluorescent seems like it should be harmless.
I store mine on their side.
If you research champagne storage there are two schools of thought. Upright and on the side. Lambic and Gueuze producers often store on the side because I read about their belief that greater yeast to beer interaction. Laying on the side allows for a more surface area of the yeast sediment.
If you research champagne storage there are two schools of thought. Upright and on the side. Lambic and Gueuze producers often store on the side because I read about their belief that greater yeast to beer interaction. Laying on the side allows for a more surface area of the yeast sediment.
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