Post Your Cellar Photos - Vol. 2

It ain't the biggest,it ain't the fanciest, and it ain't full of whales, but it's mine.

 

updated a bit... it keeps growing.
i'm glad it's chilly outside right now (in the 40's, so the garage is in the 50's) because the garage is overflow... i did get more BCBS to add to this,so it's even more out of date. but it works
1211151051 by Noah Scott, on Flickr

1211151050a by Noah Scott, on Flickr

1211151050 by Noah Scott, on Flickr

On a very minimal budget, so i think i'm doing fairly well... just need more sours.. i keep drinking them

 

Finally have the space to get everything out of boxes and onto shelves. Debating whether or not to climate control, if it's even practical to do so with the beer sharing a room with the furnace. I was hoping to find out by now how cool this room would get after the ground gets cold, but, well, the temperatures need to drop in order for that to happen.

 

ISO : that 2nd and 3rd shelf...

 

Dude those rack are awesome ... but ... I'd always hear that, unlike wine, beer should be cellared standing up. Don't remember exactly why though.

 

Thanks, man. I'm happy with how they turned out too.


I've read into the standing up/laying down argument (it's actually been brought up to me twice just in this thread!) and while I'm definitely no expert, here's my take on it:

People say that laying capped bottles completely horizontal could potentially rust the cap and/or affect oxidation. This makes sense to me so my beers are at a roughly 30 degree angle with no liquid touching the cap. Wine bottles are usually stored on their sides so the cork stays moist, keeping oxygen out. Lambics are also traditionally stored on their sides and are generally corked, but I've heard that the oxidation issue is not the same, and some lambic brewers (e.g., Boon) actually recommend upright storage. I don't know as much about the cork side of things, but I decided that since I have more capped bottles and would rather have one type of rack setup instead of two or more, I store these guys at an angle too.

One of the problems seems to be a lack of long-term research on this issue. I've seen one or two studies, but personally I have not come across enough definitive evidence to say whether vertical or horizontal is better. Ultimately, I went the aesthetic route and have not had any bad experiences yet.

 

Been on BA for a few years, just started to collect and trade in October after my first Vermont haul. Just about 3 months of work here!

 

dear lord... can i borrow 50% of your disposable income?!

 

The cellar is full I need more cellar.

 

Getting a little more organised.

 

Holy hell someone live in Michigan!!! Lovin' all that Bells! Neptune is one of my favorites, I'm only down to two left.

 

At what point does all of this just become hording?

Don't get me wrong, I have a cellar i'm currently trying to drink though after years of collecting(hording) bottles.

I find myself trying to find the perfect/special time to enjoy/drink certain "rare" beer(s) in my collection.

I don't mean to shit on this tread, but after a while even my collecting has also gotten out of hand.

 

Some ppl collect hotwheels, bikes, cars, etc. We collect beer. Get off your horse bruh

 

Removed 5 or 6 before taking this pic to share with friends. Added a few new ones to the stash via trade as well. Running at 40-45 bottles. The crates get covered up and I stack my extra homebrew gear on top. Crates maintain a consistent temperature of 57-58F.

 

I think it's important to have a MAX # in your cellar that you know you can drink through in a reasonable amount of time. For me I try to stay around 100 bottles. Right around Thanksgiving, between trades and bottle releases, I was going over 100+ and started to feel overwhelmed. Luckily over the holidays I was able to gift/drink/share a bunch of bottles. I think there is a point when it goes beyond a hobby into an obsession or hoarding. Staying organized is key.

 

Here's my new cellar.



Yeah, there's beer inside, but I have to show off the outside, including the personal touch I gave the door. I just got it and it's full, but it's the perfect size for me because of the above comments. 40-45 beers is plenty for me. I love hoppy IPAs, chocolatey milk stouts, and other fresh beers too much to drink an aged beer more than once every couple weeks. This very limited size makes sure I never have to worry about anything going past its prime.

 

I think it really depends what you are cellaring. From my experience most beers don't see any benefit from aging more than 2-3yrs tops. A lot of them go bad much faster. Unless you have a bunch of lambic or expedition stout I would recommend keeping a number you expect to drink in the mentioned time frame. Just my opinion, but I've also been hearing a familiar comment from friends with massive cellars who are trying to drink down there huge old cellar dwellers and being disappointed in some older stuff wishing they'd drank it sooner.

Full disclosure I have about 150-200 beers at any given time. Works for me. 4-500 might work for others. If you share and trade a lot you'd likely 'need' more.

 

Honestly was just thinking the same thing. Funny how people are shamed for bringing mules to beer releases, truck chasing, etc. but posting a picture of a cellar with multiple copies of rare beers is celebrated. The beer community has some issues to work through.

I'm always working (and failing) at keeping my cellar around 50-75 bottles. I constantly have to remind myself that nine times out of ten I don't prefer an aged beer over the fresh.

 

I have the exact same fridge! I see you are also concerned about the weight on the shelves. At least I'm assuming that is what the PVC is doing there (reinforcement). There is a small lip in the back that I put a series of paint sticks toward the back to reinforce one of my heavier shelves.

I also built a shelf since I didn't like the configuration (only Founder's / Lagunitas bottle sizes fit). FYI - you can also flip the 4th shelf upside down, and it will fit the smaller format bottles. The one holding the cans.

Thanks for the idea on the top door rack! I didn't realize bombers fit there!

 

I like this conversation. I first started checking this three a few years ago (Vol. 1) because I was building a cellar. Not building a collection, but physically building a structure, insulated with a cooling unit, etc. I thought the thread was going to be more about how guys are storing their beer, temperature regulated or not, and creative places/spaces. There are some creative things I have seen, but I realized most of the comments were about the beer and it started to feel more like the Post Your Latest Haul thread and less about posting a pic of your cellar.

Don't get me wrong, I have seen comments about structure, storage, and location here. But when you see zoomed in photos of the beer on the shelves... I just arrived at a loss about what this thread is about. Some folks just list out the beers in their cellar.

I don't know. Who knows.