How long do IPAs stay "Fresh"?

Well here's hoping my Heady lasts. Im not sure I can go though a whole case in the next week.

 

much longer than most people here say they do

 

Need help?

 

I don't know but the bottle of Sculpin I got in a trade is drinking mighty fine right now. Never had it before, don't know how fresh it is but it's still really good.

 

No reason to drink an IPA over 60 days old as I can just reach for a different brand.

 

23 hours

 

don't forget sucks. that falls off super fast. I had 4-5 week old bottles that for most of their lives were stored in my 50 degree garage and they were no longer hoppy at all. :-(
Others like resin, and double jack last quite well

 

It honestly depends on so many variables that this is almost a red herring thread. Some IPA's taste rough served too fresh. But, yes for the optimum etc. About a month for high alphas. A bit longer for mid's.

 

Two Hearted is still great when it is a couple of months old but when you can find it only a week old it is incredible.

I recently purchased 4 4 paks of Founders Harvest that was 2 days old. It was unbelievable!! None of them made it to 7 days old.

Going back to Grand Rapids this weekend and I sure hope there is more.

 

I try to drink them within 2 months. Some certainly hold their hop aroma and flavor better than others. However, I'd had plenty of not-fresh IPA's, and they don't go 'bad', their flavor profile becomes more malt forward.

 

you shouldnt drink any IPA past 60 days....thats the reason why you can report old beer on stone brewings website...working on reporting a lot of the local package stores around here

 

6 weeks max with constant cold storage. That's at least the late addition hop IPA's. all bitter IPA's will last for 6 months.

 

If it left the brewery it's too old. Throw that garbage out.

 

I made the mistake of buying a 4 pack of Due South Category 5 DIPA while they were still in the middle of the canning run and drinking it the next day. Now, I'm more spoiled than a batch of homebrew that's been aerated with a toilet brush.

 

My rule is 60 - 90 days.
Never buy room temp IPAs.
Always keep IPAs cold.
I've often found that even cellar temperatures aren't too forgiving to the hops.

 

How long an IPA stays fresh depends on many factors, DO (dissolved oxygen) levels in the beer, how it has been treated since packaging (kept cold vs. warm), hopping methods used, grain bill, and personal preference. As a rule, after 2-3 months an IPA will no longer taste like it did out of the brite tank. Sometimes it can be even less time before the freshness fades. However, some IPAs can stay very tasty after several months.

The sheer hop bitterness doesn't fade, at least not quickly, but the more delicate elements and aromas imparted from the dry hopping are long gone after several months.

You have to actually try it and test it for each IPA to find what *YOU* think about that particular IPA with that particular amount of age on it. If you don't want to risk your hard earned money, 3 months or less is a decent rule to go by.

 

I 've bought a few cases of Zombie Dust over the past 5 months on trips to 3F in Indiana, and unfortunately ended up sitting on more than one of them for longer than I'd originally planned (overzealous purchase I guess). It falls off fast, but it's still a great tasting beer. What you're left with after 2-3 months is a very fruity, malty beer that tastes like citrus (big surprise?) but the hoppiness (at least that bitter bite at the front of the beer) is totally gone. It's still good and I enjoyed drinking it, but I wouldn't recommend buying a case of it that old unless you've really never had it or it's entirely out of your normal area. It's still a good beer, just not a great beer at that point.

 

A friend brought me a Zombie Dust bottled in April that I drank recently. I have also had one fresh while traveling and they are not remotely the same beer. However, I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the 6-month old bottle. Depends on your goal for the case.

I'm not as hop-headed as many around here, but when I'm buying I make sure it's less than two months old, and I finish them before they hit 90 days.

 

Shtick aside, I will pass on an IPA older than 45-60 days. Doesn't mean it's not fantastic after, I just prefer this with my hoppy beers. If they happen to have them both, try a fresh one and try an "older" one. Who knows, you just may like them with some age...

 

If its in the fridge, i'll buy it up to 2 months old. If its not in a fridge i won't buy it unless its a damn fresh. Im talking like 7-10 days. Beer is meant to be stored cold.