Improperly Stored Beer

Yes. From my experience, beer stored even at room temperature has been fine.

 

Sounds like something they put on the label just to keep you from leaving it in a hot car, or just in case you didn't know that beer is good when cold.

 

I worry more about how long it's been sitting there over the temperature. I feel like we just had this discussion. (oh...we did http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/light-or-temperature.306476/#post-3796482 ) read that thread for a little more insight.

 

I would. Mainly because that's how the majority of beer is stored in most stores. There is never enough refridgeration.

 

Depends on how old it is. If it has a bottling date that is 4 weeks ago, yes. If it was bottled 4 months ago, no way

As I understand it, a week on the shelf is equal to a month in a cold fridge in terms of hops deteriorating. If it is super fresh I will buy buy otherwise no, but that applies to all hoppy beers I buy regardless of what is written on the bottle!

 

Yes, beer is versatile, it will be ok.

 

Beer doesn't spoil in that way, so there's that. But I also will take into account the bottling date (if there is one) and style. If appropriate, I also consider the amount of light (say, in the back of a lower shelf)--but that's going a bit far. But all of those factors matter, too. And even if the beer is stored cool, hops and adjuncts still will fade with time and exposure to light.

 

Its going to depend. Partly it will depend on whether its off the shelf or by the case with the other part being its freshness and my best guesstimate as to how long its been sitting around that store.

 

There is weight in freshness concerns over fridge stored or shelf stored, you should pay just as much, if not more attention to how exposed the beer (mainly bottles) is to UV sunlight. This will have a more negative effect on the product vs room temperature 'ageing'. I've seen bottles sit in a rack at the edge of a shop right next to windows receiving 4-5 direct hours of sunlight a day. Needless to say, that was the last time I went to that store.

 

If it's delicate like a Pilsner or IPA I just check the dates.

 

I do notice that there is more of a Hop Bite on Miller Lite that's been in the Beer Cave versus the room temp alternative.
I buy Resin all the time off the shelf and it clearly states on the can to keep Refrigerated. It holds up pretty well un-refrigerated.

 

OTOH:

 

As stated above, I'd be more concerned with the freshness of the beer. I just saw an Alesmith IPA with a 2014 bottled on date on the shelf.

 

Would refrigerated transport be to prevent beer from cooking? Couldn't refrigerated transport include keeping beer at 60-70 F?

 

Beer is best stored cold unless you have beers intended for cellaring.

Higher temperatures accelerate beer staling due to oxidative processes. This is ‘defined’ via the Arrhenius equation. Storing beer cool/cold will increase the ‘best by’ timeframe for beer.

Some more information: Beer aging effects (oxidation processes) increase by a factor of 2-3 times for every increase of 10 °C. This is based upon the Arrhenius equation.

Below is a handy curve which quantifies this.

 

No problem buying beer that was kept warm, with the exception of IPA's. If they are delivered cold they need to stay cold in the store, need to stay in your fridge at home until you drink them. They will be fine if you don't, but IMO they just keep their juiciness longer if they stay cold

 

LOL are we having the same exact discussion that I linked to in my previous post, charts and all? I guess I'll post my comment that I also posted in that thread.
"According to this chart @68F (20c) it will take 14 weeks to display pronounced stale character. You shouldn't be sitting on IPA's that long anyways! So Light it is, as that can have a much faster rate as noted above." WTF Drink it fresh!!! Not 3 months old.
As for the OTOH comments,

Hits it right on the head...Besides Time!, the most important consideration. Without time neither oxidation nor temperature have a chance to affect the beer.

 

FWIW, I'd be interested to see the sources and science behind that graph. It is indeed an arrhenius rate approach. I'd slightly agree with your scientific view, but without knowing constants and other criteria of the actual ingredients (activation energies and rate constants of thermal degradation of hops? ...really?), that graph can be manipulated to support any theory. If i were to suggest a graph like this without supplying assumptions and givens in any of my accelerated aging work, I'd have my test request shoved down my throat.

 

The person you should contact is Dr. Charlie Bamforth at UC Davis. I have listened to numerous podcasts where he has discussed the aging of beer as it relates to the Arrhenius equation.

Do you have any of his textbooks? I would suspect that this is documented in one of his books; maybe in his book Flavor: Practical Guides for Beer Quality.

Cheers!