Beer Serving Temperatures?

[peas_and_corn]

My keg fridge is a little... powerful. In the past I have frozen kegs (it took me a while to realise that was the reason why it was starting to taste a little 'concentrated'), which I wasn't too happy about. Anyway, today I poured myself an amber ale, and after a few sips I started to think 'this is a bit colder than beer is served at the pubs... it tastes a little different because of that too'

So... what is the desired temp for your average ale? Does the recommended temp change depending on the style of the beer? I think my beer is being dispensed at around 2/1C; that's a little cold, right?

Cheers,

Dave

 

[jayse]

1/2c is too cold for even VB. h34r: lowest my beer is ever served is around 8c and is ussually poured at 10-12c.

During winter time I can go out to my cool room at nite and it can actually be warmer inside it then out.
You'd even be supprised how many swill drinking mates don't even notice or comment the beer is not as cold as they drink there swill out of the fridge at home. Around 13c they tend to notice it but around 10c it is still 'cold' as such and perfect.

Funny when people call beers warm at 10-12c, last i checked 10c was not what i call warm unless your a eskimo.


Alcohol fueled brewtality
Jayse

 

[peas_and_corn]

10? I'm surprised it's that warm. What temperature is the temprite at a bar normally set to?

 

[oneills]

I have had the same problems lately now that the weather has cooled down a bit. I purchased an Aldoheat thermostat that you just plug in and set the temp that you want or you can find one of Brissybrew's temp controllers in the retail section of this forum. Do a search of this site and you will find other options plus peoples experience with the ones that i mentioned.

As to beer fridges, ask three different people and you will get three different answers. I have got mine set at approx three degrees. Normally the lighter the beer the lower the temp and heavier beers would be served at higher temps. eg.stouts are normally served at between 5 & 6 oC .It comes down to personal preference.

 

[oneills]

Another thing i forgot to mention is that low alcohol beers will freeze at a higher temp than standard ones. I found this out the hard way when working in a pub and running light beers through the same temprite as standard ones.

By the way we used to have our temprites set at 1.8 degrees as the beer was at room temp from cellar to temprite.

 

[Trent]

I usually try to serve my beers around 6-8C, (not an exact science, of course, as I bottle), but usually give em a little bit of time out of the fridge before I crack em, I find it allows the flavours to show through a little more. Obviously, as others have pointed out, the darker the beer, the warmer you serve it. I would serve a Russian Imperial Stout at around about 12C. If it is too cold, you dont taste the flavours that are there. Megaswill beer tastes drinkable (not really, but if you use your imagination) when it is ice cold, but tastes 1000 times worse as it warms, so my theory is that the real flavours come out as it warms, so dont serve at less than 4C, and if ya can, closer to 6 or 8. OTOH, if you are somehow forced to drink VB, make sure it is as close to ice as possible!
All the best
Trent

 

[colinw]

My main keg fridge sits on about 5C, beer is probably a bit warmer than that by the time I drink it.

English Bitter like my current keg of my BPA recipe is best served at about 14C, and I keep the keg in the fermenting fridge set to that temp except when I have another batch underway. Currently I'm fermenting a Koelsch, so the BPA is sitting out under the house at ambient temperature, probably around 18C. Its perfectly drinkable at that.

 

[peas_and_corn]

I was expecting a different temperature from every person!

But, it's given me a few pointers about where I need to be experimenting in. I guess it's many nights of testing how beer tastes at different temperatures! oh the work involved in brewing...

 

[johnno]

All my ales are usually served at the shed ambient temp at this time of the year. usually around 10-12c.

If someone is coming over I usually put a few in the fridge to cool them a bit more.


cheers
johnno

 

[lucas]

All my ales are usually served at the shed ambient temp at this time of the year. usually around 10-12c.

you're not alone there. I started doing it because we had no room in the fridge, but found they just plain taste better at those temps