If you don't have a cellar, why not?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Orca, Jun 3, 2013.

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  1. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I've seen a few BA posts from people saying they don't have a cellar. My question for these people is, why not?

    I can see if you only like IPAs and lagers and/or year-round shelf beers, you're not going to have much incentive or reason to build much of a cellar. But if you like imperial stouts, barleywines, old ales, and other beers that tend to age well and usually come out only for a limited time each year—and especially if you've been in the beer scene long enough to have established a few favorites that you might tend to stock up on when they come out every year—I don't see how you could avoid accumulating at least a few beers over the long term, whether by accident or design.

    As for me, I never deliberately set out to build a beer cellar, but I've definitely been picking up a few bottles of Bigfoot, Parabola, Stone IRS, Adam, Abyss, Doggie Claws, Saison-Brett, §ucaba, Old Stock, and others every year for a few years running now. And I tend not to drink these kinds of beers every night. So inevitably this has resulted in the accumulation of a considerable cellar/beer fridge.

    So let's hear from some of you who have managed not to accrue a cellar. I'm curious. How'd you do it?

    Cheers!

    < Note to BA mods: I'm posting this in Beer Talk because if it went into the Cellaring forum most people who don't cellar likely would not see it. >
     
    #1 Orca, Jun 3, 2013
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  2. cookiequiz

    cookiequiz Savant (1,119) Apr 15, 2013 California

    I bet most people who don't have cellars don't for practical reasons, rather than for philosophical reasons.
     
    #2 cookiequiz, Jun 3, 2013
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  3. Stugotzo

    Stugotzo Initiate (0) Jun 13, 2012 Florida

    <----- Florida

    (Duh!)
     
    #3 Stugotzo, Jun 3, 2013
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  4. Frankinstiener

    Frankinstiener Initiate (0) Jul 28, 2009 Illinois

    I have a bunch of boxes of beers in my basement. If that's a cellar than I have one. If it's not than I don't want one.
     
    #4 Frankinstiener, Jun 3, 2013
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  5. evilcatfish

    evilcatfish Pooh-Bah (2,116) May 11, 2012 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm glad you noted this, I had a topic moved to the feedback forum a while ago which pretty much caused it to die. Fact is a lot of those other forums just don't get much traffic
     
    #5 evilcatfish, Jun 3, 2013
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  6. joeebbs

    joeebbs Initiate (0) Apr 29, 2009 Pennsylvania

    1.) Space
    2.) Silly to have $$$ tied up in consumables sitting around taking up space
    3.) Could be gone tomorrow so why have a stock pile of beer I may never drink.
     
    #6 joeebbs, Jun 3, 2013
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  7. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I guess that's a good point. I stayed out of hardcore "craft" beer for years mainly because I couldn't afford it.
    That describes my cellar, so yes, I'd say you have one.
     
    #7 Orca, Jun 3, 2013
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  8. Domingo

    Domingo Grand Pooh-Bah (4,252) Apr 23, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah

    I have a wife who likes to drink beer, too :slight_smile:

    In my case, I don't keep much of a cellar, but I hang on to certain items and styles for extended periods either in a closet or in the back of my fridge. Nothing crazy, but maybe 15-20 bottles max. Once I go over that, we usually start randomly drinking them on weekends. My usual rule with big releases, like the ones you mentioned, is that I'll buy one bottle for now and one for later. Later, in our case, is usually less than a year. There are exceptions, but that has been my M.O. going back 10 or so years.
    With so many smaller breweries popping up, I find myself drinking more and more items around town instead of at home anyway.
     
    #8 Domingo, Jun 3, 2013
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  9. MichPaul

    MichPaul Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2012 Michigan

    Well, at least #1 makes sense...
     
    #9 MichPaul, Jun 3, 2013
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  10. grandmachine

    grandmachine Zealot (535) Mar 11, 2010 California

    Lack of space.
    I use a single kitchen cabinet as my "cellar". It can probably hold up to 40ish beers. I don't have to worry about extreme weather climate changes, since I live in So. Cal.
     
    #10 grandmachine, Jun 3, 2013
  11. papat444

    papat444 Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,961) Dec 28, 2006 Canada (QC)
    Pooh-Bah

    Because i drank it all
     
    #11 papat444, Jun 3, 2013
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  12. LeRose

    LeRose Grand Pooh-Bah (4,423) Nov 24, 2011 Massachusetts
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Spiders...big, honkin', hairy eight-legged freaks that have had 200 years to evolve in my basement...they'd be partyin' it up playing poker drinkin' my beahs...
     
    #12 LeRose, Jun 3, 2013
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  13. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    The right cat solves that problem.
     
    #13 leedorham, Jun 3, 2013
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  14. dbrauneis

    dbrauneis Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,071) Dec 8, 2007 North Carolina
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I bet the majority of folks living in major urban areas either do not have a cellar or have a small/limited cellar due to the space constraints of apartment living and the lack of a cool space (like a basement) to keep the beer at a proper temperature.

    Additionally, living in areas that are prone to hurricanes/flooding would like be a good excuse for not having a beer cellar as well since it would likely be difficult to take with you when you evacuated and I would hate to see all of my good cellared beer ruined in flooding.
     
    #14 dbrauneis, Jun 3, 2013
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  15. Gregg_Kawakami

    Gregg_Kawakami Initiate (0) Apr 19, 2013 Hawaii

    I live in Hawaii.

    So I am forced to drink it all. :wink:
     
    #15 Gregg_Kawakami, Jun 3, 2013
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  16. joeebbs

    joeebbs Initiate (0) Apr 29, 2009 Pennsylvania


    Why do the others not make sense to you?
     
    #16 joeebbs, Jun 3, 2013
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  17. teraflx

    teraflx Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2013 Arizona

    I live in Arizona.
     
    #17 teraflx, Jun 3, 2013
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  18. LeRose

    LeRose Grand Pooh-Bah (4,423) Nov 24, 2011 Massachusetts
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    The skeletons hang in the web. We're talking Cirith Ungol...Shelob's lair, man....

    (Just in case anybody really thinks I am feeding cats to spiders - we have six adopted cats and as intrusive as the little buggers are I wouldn't harm a hair on their, well, bodies...)

    Damp ugly basement, no garage, and with an old farmhouse there's not much space to spare on the main floors.
     
    #18 LeRose, Jun 3, 2013
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  19. Celtics76

    Celtics76 Pooh-Bah (1,781) Sep 5, 2011 Rhode Island
    Pooh-Bah

    I don't have much interest in collecting beer, I'd rather drink it. I don't like having a huge stock of beer either, just what I need to get me through the week.
     
    #19 Celtics76, Jun 3, 2013
  20. BigJim5021

    BigJim5021 Savant (1,227) Sep 2, 2007 Indiana

    My beer budget is small. If something is a special release, it's gonna be too expensive for me to buy multiples.
     
    #20 BigJim5021, Jun 3, 2013
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