Aging Beer = Lower AbV?

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by Graviz, Apr 21, 2012.

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  1. Graviz

    Graviz Initiate (0) Feb 26, 2012 Colorado

    Does aging beer lower the AbV? They taste less boozey after some age but didn't know if that affected the abv?
     
    #1 Graviz, Apr 21, 2012
  2. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    No, it mellows out the alcohol taste by allowing the other flavors to mature, but the abv does not change.
     
    #2 Hanzo, Apr 21, 2012
  3. Thehuntmaster

    Thehuntmaster Initiate (0) Sep 2, 2009 South Africa

    I hear that the ABV in beers like Orval increases with the age. I guess that would be due to the bret?
     
    #3 Thehuntmaster, Apr 21, 2012
  4. MrFootstones

    MrFootstones Initiate (0) Aug 8, 2008 California

    Fusel alcohols (alcohols in your beer that are not ethanol) can be converted, with time, to esters. That may account, at least partially, for the idea of alcohol smoothing out with aging.

    Not sure if that could actually affect the ABV, I wouldn't expect it would do so noticeably.
     
    #4 MrFootstones, Apr 21, 2012
  5. Agold

    Agold Maven (1,287) Mar 13, 2010 Pennsylvania

    Yes it does. Because of this and the different labeling practices in the EU and USA, US orval has a different ABV.
     
    #5 Agold, Apr 21, 2012
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