How long does beer last

[GraemeW3]

Only just joined but have been brewing mainly coopers for 20 odd years now. Recently opened some stout that was bottled in 1999 and it was still very nice. Just wondering how long could a brew last.

cheers Graeme.

[Beerlust]

Hi GraemeW3, & welcome to the forum.

 

In my experiences darker more malt driven styles of beer seem to have a longer shelf life than their lighter coloured brothers. I can only assume it has something to do with the complexities garnered within the darker roasted malt grains used that somehow makes the difference.

 

Beyond that, I really have no factual idea. [whistling

 

Cheers,

 

Anthony

[Nick]

Beers seems a bit like wine, reds age well, whereas whites are at there best sooner and deteriorate soon after.

 

Some of my better APA's are at there best at 1 month and dont change at all, but my dark ales and stouts are earflappers at 1 month, but smooth and mellow at 6 months. not sure what theyre like at a year as they never last that long[innocent]

[JohnE9]

Gidday all

 

I have drunk a home brew of mine which was over 20 years old.

It wasn't ambrosia at bottling time and it sure weren't after that score or so of years maturing.[crying]

 

Rubbish in, rubbish out. They used to say that about computers.

Same with beer.

 

By the way, some white wine grapes, like Semillon and Riesling, greatly benefit from bottle age. Try to buy an aged Hunter Valley Semillon without forking out big $$$.[lol] [biggrin]

[Del]

" a beer" lasts about 3-5 minutes on a 40 degree day..

 

 

well thats my experience anyways.. [ninja]

 

 

im only fresh to brewing.. but ive been diving round yacht moorings and pulled up full stubbies and long necks that are estimated 10+ years old... cooled them down in the esky and drank them that night.. been fine!

[PhilbyT]

+1 JohnE9

Try buying an Aged Clare or Watervale Riesling, same deal. Whoa, way off topic.

[liamg1]

Only just joined but have been brewing mainly coopers for 20 odd years now. Recently opened some stout that was bottled in 1999 and it was still very nice. Just wondering how long could a brew last.

cheers Graeme.

evrery year i got to the opla fields and drink year old, 2 year old brew and no worries

 

[Beeblebrox]

Only just joined but have been brewing mainly coopers for 20 odd years now. Recently opened some stout that was bottled in 1999 and it was still very nice. Just wondering how long could a brew last.

cheers Graeme.

 

My understanding is the higher the malt and alcohol content, the longer the beer should last.

That's not to say that only dark malted brews like stouts will last.

A well brewed IPA or Vintage Ale should improve with age, remember IPA was originally invented so Colonials in India could drink beer that had been brewed some distance away and would have to survive voyages at sea, hence the high alcohol and hop content.

All that said, the storage method would make quite some difference to the quality of an aged beer also.

Don't expect it to be any good if you keep it in a hot attic, or just sitting in the kitchen, you would want to protect it from extremes of temperature change and exposure to heat and light sources.

I don't know if there's an upper limit on how long a quality vintage beer could last, but I'd expect you wouldn't necessarily want to hold onto it any longer than a few years anyway; it may remain drinkable, but I'd expect the improvement with age would reach a point where deterioration would kick in.

By the same token, I doubt you'd be able to keep a vintage beer as long in a plastic bottle as you could in a glass bottle; and again the risk of contamination as the bottle cap deteriorates and starts to rust could be a factor to consider.

At the end of the day, the only reliable way to get a beer that will still be drinkable as it ages is to be meticulous in the way you make it, including quality ingredients, temp control, and cleaning and sterilizing. Only a good quality product will stand the test of time, and only you can decide how much effort you want to put in to brewing your beer.

[Loch Brewer]

I recently found some stout in the shed when i was looking for empty bottles. It was nearly 15 years old and tasted better than i remember it did when young. Also found a bottle of munich lager and it was just as ordinary as i remember !

The stout was made from a can of larger and a can of stout (plus 500g dextrose i think).

I'll definitely be storing some stouts for a while now; and not in the shed but in a storage room in the house that stays a nice cool constant temperature.

A russian imperial stout is on the agenda.

[MarkR30]

Well worth it Loch Brewer. I have several styles of stout in storage ranging from 3 to 5 years (various milk stouts, a chocolate, an oatmeal, various Guinness styles, Irish styles, and a 5 year old RIS - about 200 longnecks in all)) and test a bottle or two of each' each year. Honestly they just keep on improving. The RIS after a year was nearly undrinkable but now you could put in on your ice cream.

Cheers