Brews Clues
Beer Snob Edition
Dennis Mongello
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Don't let all your wine snob friends have all the fun in their cellars. Beers too can benefit from aging, just like wine. However, don't think that half case of Rolling Rock that has been sitting in your fridge since your welcome back party in September is suddenly as refined as an '82 Bordeaux. There are rules for aging beer just like there are rules for aging wine.
First, you have to have a good beer for aging. The number one indicator for a candidate is the ABV (alcohol by volume). If it is in the double digits, then go for it. It'll keep fresh for years. Another good indicator that a beer will keep up in time is if it is bottle conditioned. This means that the yeast is still floating around in the bottle gobbling up sugar and replacing it with alcohol. Basically, the beer is still living, and you should not touch it until it has matured.
This doesn't mean that you have to wait until it's 18 though. Just like even the finest wines will eventually turn into vinegar, even the strongest beers will go sour. Each different beer has a different shelf life, and unfortunately there is no formula that will tell you exactly when your beer is at its peak flavor, but you can taste a big difference in as soon as 2 years.
Second, you have to store your beer in the right place. It should be a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Some people might tell you that you need a special refrigerator but don't listen to them. Just leave the beers down in your basement or even under your sink. Just don't mix up your Dogfish Head with your Formula 409! It should be cool, but not cold. Leaving your beer in the fridge will slow down the aging process and might even kill the yeast in the bottle. The same goes for heat and sunlight. If it's too bright or too hot, the yeast will die off and the beer will go sour. The last thing to keep in mind is that you should store the beer upright. It doesn't matter if the beer is corked or capped, storing the beer on its side is not optimal.
First, you have to have a good beer for aging. The number one indicator for a candidate is the ABV (alcohol by volume). If it is in the double digits, then go for it. It'll keep fresh for years. Another good indicator that a beer will keep up in time is if it is bottle conditioned. This means that the yeast is still floating around in the bottle gobbling up sugar and replacing it with alcohol. Basically, the beer is still living, and you should not touch it until it has matured.
This doesn't mean that you have to wait until it's 18 though. Just like even the finest wines will eventually turn into vinegar, even the strongest beers will go sour. Each different beer has a different shelf life, and unfortunately there is no formula that will tell you exactly when your beer is at its peak flavor, but you can taste a big difference in as soon as 2 years.
Second, you have to store your beer in the right place. It should be a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Some people might tell you that you need a special refrigerator but don't listen to them. Just leave the beers down in your basement or even under your sink. Just don't mix up your Dogfish Head with your Formula 409! It should be cool, but not cold. Leaving your beer in the fridge will slow down the aging process and might even kill the yeast in the bottle. The same goes for heat and sunlight. If it's too bright or too hot, the yeast will die off and the beer will go sour. The last thing to keep in mind is that you should store the beer upright. It doesn't matter if the beer is corked or capped, storing the beer on its side is not optimal.
Be the first to comment on this story