Conditioning, How Long Is Too Long ?

[Nodrog]

I found a few bottles of my first partial / BIAB experiments which had been hidden away for 6 or 9 months. Was under the impression that time improves most things in the brewing world, so was happy to leave a bit of each stock in an 'archive' case, but these weren't too great.

The AG stout was pretty good, still had its bitterness, and great malt flavours. But I'd had a few kits and bits brews, which looking back through the recipes were kit plus some steeped crystal and short hop boil. These have lost all their hop taste, and are left with a cloying sweetness, not that tasty, and some may even go down the drain..... Am pretty sure they were good when they were first drunk.

So, apart from not drinking the fruits of my labour quick enough, have I done anything wrong?
What's the longest bottles (brown 750mls pet bottles kept under the house in auckland temperatures) can be kept for?

 

[khendrickson]

I have done that before. Visa expired and left for 6 months. When I got back I had two case that I had forgotten about in my buddy shed. It was hit or miss (was a mix match of the last like 6 brews spanning 1.5 years). Some bottles were still good others not so much. I think it has more to do with the seal of your bottles. I use glass and recap. PET bottles might give you a funny taste after so long and I was never overly keen on the fact that they screw shut. I figure 6 months - 1 year if you cap it correctly in glass.

If it still tastes like beer and it gets you drunk, you are good to go.

 

[popmedium]

I'm by no means an expert but I believe it also depends on how much hops you've used and what the ABV is. I'm brewing at around 8% and the recipe I used said it should age pretty well (kits with bits - steeping, kits, 3 hop additions). At leaste I hope this is the case because I'm keeping 3 or so bottles of each brew to age and see what comes out of the wash in a year or so.

 

[kocken42]

Temperature fluctuations may have also played a role. Generally temperature change should not affect the character of a beer significantly (well as long as it doesn't freeze or get excessively hot). But increased temperatures do speed up the rate of the aging process...so 9 months at temp 'X' is equivalent to 6 months at temp 'Y', if temp Y is 10 degrees higher than temp X. For this reason some of your beers may have been pushed past their expected life.

 

[eamonnfoley]

Unless your sanitation is flawless, it will be very hard to keep beer for long periods and not notice a deterioration. And it should be kept cold also.

 

[CONNOR BREWARE]

I'm by no means an expert but I believe it also depends on how much hops you've used and what the ABV is. I'm brewing at around 8% and the recipe I used said it should age pretty well (kits with bits - steeping, kits, 3 hop additions). At leaste I hope this is the case because I'm keeping 3 or so bottles of each brew to age and see what comes out of the wash in a year or so.

You hop comment is interesting, sort of like the old story of IPA being designed to survive the trip to India by using a lot of hops due to them acting like a preservative. So I just did a quick on line search and Wikkipedia writers think that IPA hop thing is a myth but other places do talk about hops being the great preservative.

so would a beer like ruination last longer, sure tastes like it would clean a wound? Don't get me wrong its a lovely drop. It would make a great experiment to crank up a hops profile through the roof and see if it would preserve and not just mask bad aging. No doubt someone on here already knows this and will shed some light on this any second now. If not i'll read up on some good text books I've just acquired and see what they have to say.

 

[Doubleplugga]

it would seem the style also has something to do with it. Duke of Paddy do you remember that extract stout recipe you gave me? must have been a couple of years ago now. but i found those couple of bottles in the cupboard that must have been close to 12 months old and they tasted better than the others i had. might be something about dark beers

 

[Brewman_]

Mmhh not so sure, about the dark beers. I had some really nice stout that I left for around a year, it was not as good as it was at around 3 - 4 months. But it was not overly hopped nor was it high in alcohol. It was also not kept cold. Well no wonder it tasted crap!

Fear_n_loath

 

[piraterum]

it would seem the style also has something to do with it. Duke of Paddy do you remember that extract stout recipe you gave me? must have been a couple of years ago now. but i found those couple of bottles in the cupboard that must have been close to 12 months old and they tasted better than the others i had. might be something about dark beers

Style and alcohol content seem to effect how well they store. It would make sense a high alcohol content would help act as a preservative. The complex malts in dark brews like stouts, porters etc seem to mature and improve in flavour much like wine. Just from personal experience I've found some of my stronger darker brews have keep well up to 12 months whereas other styles like pils, pale ales etc have lost flavour. Particularly hop flavour seems to diminsh after 6 months storage (room temp, in dark). Anyone else found this?

 

[CONNOR BREWARE]

Yes i believe i gave you that one while i nursed a piss poor light cascade at a wedding. For some stupid reason i wasnt drinking at an open bar and felt I had to prove I did indeed worship the God of Brewing.

i kept some for over a year and they were treated very badly when i moved, sat in the garage through a heat wave and yet they were so good my dad accepted my last two bottles without even a look of guilt. Almost snatched them off me! Yet Temp has gotta play a big part of the puzzle...surely

That settles it I'm taking brw sic and prac to bed and reading up on how much hops has to do with this.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Unless your sanitation is flawless, it will be very hard to keep beer for long periods and not notice a deterioration. And it should be kept cold also.

Well you know my beers last well, some are 12 months old and will be judged at the Perth Royal beer Show. I will see what they say.
The key is good beer to start and good storage. That American Amber Rye I made is in the show and thats well aged and aged well.
Nev
GB

 

[CONNOR BREWARE]

thats well aged and aged well.
Nev
GB

Thats gotta be on your label, Gold.

 

[Brewman_]

I will see what they say.
Nev
GB

Agree, that's the best way. Hope they go well for you.



Fear_n_loath