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Date: 10 Oct 2006 09:25:36
From: davemchine@gmail.com
Subject: effects of storing beer warm
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We have a new beer store in town which stocks a great variety of beers.
This weekend my brother and I did some extensive sampling and I found
that many of the beers tasted "off". I couldn't put my finger on it but
they just didn't taste right. Since we sampled many many different
beers the problem has to be in how the beers are stored or in my
tastebuds (possible!). This particular store does not refridgerate
their beer.
So my questions are:
1. can storing beer warm alter it's flavor?
2. how long would it take? I know this would vary by hop and alcohol
content, but generally...
3. how would you describe the change to the beers flavor?
Thanks for any input,
Dave
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Date: 10 Oct 2006 11:13:47
From: Scott L
Subject: Re: effects of storing beer warm
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davemchine@gmail.com wrote:
> We have a new beer store in town which stocks a great variety of beers.
> This weekend my brother and I did some extensive sampling and I found
> that many of the beers tasted "off". I couldn't put my finger on it but
> they just didn't taste right. Since we sampled many many different
> beers the problem has to be in how the beers are stored or in my
> tastebuds (possible!). This particular store does not refridgerate
> their beer.
A lot of these specialty beer stores have a HUGE turnover time. I have
two beer stores with huge selections near me, and I would not be
surprised if some of their shelves are stocked with beer that's been
sitting for over a year.
I think the majority response you're going to get here is that "storing
beer warm doesn't hurt it," and that's probably true over timeframes of
just a few months. But store a beer for a year at room temperature, and
there will be some effects. Even keeping it cold won't save it
indefinitely.
Some of the very strong ales like barleywines can hold out for several
years, but even these change character over that timeframe and
definitely peak in quality at a certain point.
I'd say, don't worry about whether the beer has been kept cold, DO
worry about how old it is.
Scott
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Date: 10 Oct 2006 13:10:38
From: The Artist Formerly Known as Kap'n Salty
Subject: Re: effects of storing beer warm
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davemchine@gmail.com wrote:
> We have a new beer store in town which stocks a great variety of beers.
> This weekend my brother and I did some extensive sampling and I found
> that many of the beers tasted "off". I couldn't put my finger on it but
> they just didn't taste right. Since we sampled many many different
> beers the problem has to be in how the beers are stored or in my
> tastebuds (possible!). This particular store does not refridgerate
> their beer.
>
> So my questions are:
> 1. can storing beer warm alter it's flavor?
> 2. how long would it take? I know this would vary by hop and alcohol
> content, but generally...
> 3. how would you describe the change to the beers flavor?
>
Bottle storage in stores is always a problem over long periods, as
skunking can (and generally does occur given time) even under
flourescent lights and brown bottles. There are actually light fixtures
that can be installed to minimize the issue, but most places don't
bother with them. Cans are immune to the effect, but consumers don't
associate cans with high-end beers, so most micros/good imports are
bottled. More hoppy beers, or beers in which hop-flavor is more
prominent tend to show this more.
Warm storage over months is probably not a bad thing assuming the beer
is well-packaged to begin with. Over years it may become a problem -- I
think cold storage generally retards a host of reactions -- but I doubt
there are any real rules that you could apply. Some of my beers have
gone through downright hot periods without problems. Your retail store
might just be keeping old stock. Who knows?
--
(Replies: cleanse my address of the Mark of the Beast!)
Teleoperate a roving mobile robot from the web:
http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/rover.html
Coauthor with Dennis Clark of "Building Robot Drive Trains".
Buy several copies today!
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Date: 10 Oct 2006 13:54:07
From: Dan Logcher
Subject: Re: effects of storing beer warm
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davemchine@gmail.com wrote:
> We have a new beer store in town which stocks a great variety of beers.
> This weekend my brother and I did some extensive sampling and I found
> that many of the beers tasted "off". I couldn't put my finger on it but
> they just didn't taste right. Since we sampled many many different
> beers the problem has to be in how the beers are stored or in my
> tastebuds (possible!). This particular store does not refridgerate
> their beer.
>
> So my questions are:
> 1. can storing beer warm alter it's flavor?
> 2. how long would it take? I know this would vary by hop and alcohol
> content, but generally...
> 3. how would you describe the change to the beers flavor?
I doubt it.. I store kegs of beer in my basement for at least a month or
two at 68F. No off taste to it.
--
Dan
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Date: 11 Oct 2006 14:58:48
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: effects of storing beer warm
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On 10 2006 09:25:36 -0700, <davemchine@gmail.com > wrote:
> So my questions are:
> 1. can storing beer warm alter it's flavor?
For typical filtered/pasteurized commercial beer... no. The storage temp
should not have any real effect. One thing you can run into with homebrew,
or the rare commercial beer with live yeast still in it, is that the beer
will age/mature more quickly at warmer temperatures. This is usually a
good thing, unless you have aged beyond the beer's peak.
> 2. how long would it take? I know this would vary by hop and alcohol
> content, but generally...
For typical commercial beer, it doesn't matter. For "live" beer, it really
depends on style. The beer will generally improve up to a certain
point and then some flavor components will begin to fade.
> 3. how would you describe the change to the beers flavor?
It depends on what type of beers you are drinking. What is the "off flavor"
that you were noticing? I doubt it really had anything to do with the
storage temp.
John.
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