What Temperature Should Bottles Be Stored At?

[Ploppy]

Hi guys,

I was just wondering if there is a difference between storing your bottles at room temperature or keeping them refrigerated (in terms of the beer improving with age). Does refrigeration slow down this process, or does it not make a difference?

Also, if storing at room temperature, will the beer be adversely affected by high ambient temperatures (e.g. between 30-40 degrees celsius) even if secondary fermentation is complete and the beer is out of the way of any sunlight?

 

[Stuster]

From personal experience, beer does not do too well in very hot conditions. That said, all my beer is kept in a garage which gets pretty hot at times. I find that it takes a while for the beer to be affected, with hoppiness going out of the window first. If that is the only place you have to store your beer (like me), just drink it fairly quickly. Or get into kegging.

If you are thinking of long term storage, I found the below at this site. Google storage beer and you'll probably find loads more.

temperature is very important, and a major factor in the storing and serving aspects of beer. It also can become a real balancing act. Beer benefits from cool constant temperatures; usually around 50-55 degrees F is ideal for most beers, and most beer collectors. Higher temperatures and you'll risk shortening the lifespan of your beer, lower and you'll induce chill haze (cloudy). For you beer geeks out there, we'll break it down a bit further ...

There are 3 storage temperatures used to lay beer down for maturation and/or storage. Not only will you want store your beers at these specific temperatures, but also you'll want to serve them at the same. Your strong beers (like barleywines, tripels, dark ales) will be their happiest at room temperature (55-60F), most of your standard ales (like bitters, IPAs, dobbelbocks, lambics, stouts, etc) will be at cellar temperature (50-55F) and your lighter beers (like lagers, pilsners, wheat beers, milds, etc) will be at a refrigerated temperature (45-50F). Usually the higher alcohol, the higher temperature and lower alcohol, the lower temperature ... you get the point.

 

[homebrewworld.com]

When i pas on a bottle of my brew to someone i always suggest
please...' Treat Like Milk ', no artificial preservatives in my beer.

i.e you dont store milk in the sun,car,garage...........

 

[kungy]

Regarding the high temp query, I would advise to keep it as low as possible, preferably at least sub 25-30 degrees. High temps in the bottle can have an affect upon the beers taste when it comes to drinking. My first batch of beer was stored at the upper end of 30 and and on some days dabbled in the 40s. Made the beer taste like hazelnuts and sherry, as a result of prolonged overheating. All went straight down the sink.(http://members.tripod.com/~mksgrist/_vti_hbart/off_flavors.html)

Will

 

[mika]

Ploppy, try not to be too disheartened, my beer's stored in the garage as well and I had the temp guage spike at a 48C max :unsure:

But hey, the stuff tastes OK, I've had a couple of bottle bombs as well... but adds to the excitement.

If you can store it somewhere cooler.. DO IT !
Otherwise

RDWHAHB :chug:

 

[lpa]

Kia Ora,

I put a month-old bottle of Cooper's Real Ale (standard method) in the fridge for a week or so and unlike all it's mates, this one tasted almost exactly like VB. Now, many will say that's a pity, but for an amateur such as myself I thought that was an encouraging result. I've always liked VB cos it tastes like homebrew, strangely enough, and in my country it's the cheapest beer money can buy. But... my point is: I think it was the week in the fridge that separated that particular bottle from it's peers and maybe there's a lesson in that. Y'know, buy a walk-in fridge the size of a small planet to store your beer in. No worries.

LPA

 

[mika]

If that's what happens to beer when you age it in the fridge I'll keep storing it in the garage
VB....Yuk!!!

 

[Ploppy]

Okay, well I've made four brews in the past month, and have been storing the bottles inside the house in big containers. It still gets pretty hot inside, but with the aircon on it doesn't get much above 32 degrees (it isn't particularly good aircon), and the beers that I've tasted so far have all seemed pretty alright.

I have another question with regards to bottle storage though - is it okay to store bottles on their side, or is it best to store them upright? The Coopers kit instructions say to store them upright, which is what I've always done, but I could definitely save a bit of space if I stacked bottles on their sides on top of each other in the containers.

Does storing bottles on their side somehow affect how the beers mature, or is it more of a practical consideration, like having sediment sticking to the sides of the bottle after a long period of time, versus the less noticeable effect of sediment sticking to the bottom of a bottle?

 

[mika]

IMHO I think it don't matter.
Just be sure to stand the bottle upright for a little while before you pour it.
I've always had my beers standing up because I have lottsa space in the garage. But when it comes to transporting them, they get stuck however. As long as you stand them for a while to leave the sediment at the bottom is all good. And I am sure it's the same while they're conditioning.

 

[Yob]

we were a bit short on space so I made a shed for storing stuff in and scored the inside cupboard, will be on my third level shortly, for me upright is the only way.. easier to get at too!!
:beerbang:

 

[jkirky]

I store all my brews in my garage which has a tin roof and get the brunt of the full summer sun. I store my beers in an old freezer which doesnt work, but the unit does help level out the temps and keep it more constant from its insulation.

We had plenty of days over 40 this summer and my beers are still drinking the same- no real change except for expected aging qualities.

So I say store upright in as dark and cool spot you can find. Keep an eye out on ebay for old fridges or freezers as these can help with keeping the fermenter temp stable also...

 

[enoch1973]

Mine go in the garage to. It's ok for this time of year in Sydney I guess. Cool at night and nice and mild in the day.
I always thought if they didn't get super hot (above 30 degrees...) they'd be ok in the garage.
Used to store them under the laundry sink until I discovered I was obsessed with home brewing
Now I require more space to store the glass... I will invest in a fridge though before next summer.
Both for brewing and storing brews.

 

[redunderthebed]

Store it somewhere dark and cool and she'll be right mate i have my latest batch storing in my wardrobe.