Cellaring Lambics Horizontally vs. Vertically

I noted when touring Cantillon that all the bottles were stored in alcoves on their sides and stacked from the floor to almost as high as an adult could reach. I also noted that if they didn't store them that way there wouldn't be enough space in the brewery to store all those bottles. The floors were crowded and the existing open space was for work to be done and it would be very difficult to find places to build shelves for storage. Side storage seemed the only solution given the space available.

Edit: It also looked to be the case that the building was the same size ( floor space) as when it was built...

 

Many pics of Cantillon's cellar:
http://www.google.ca/webhp?hl=en&tab=nw#hl=en&gs_nf=1&cp=21&gs_id=2a&xhr=t&q=cantillon+cellar+pics&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=cantillon+cellar+pics&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=967e3cfe09c426bd&biw=1366&bih=674

It seems Cantillon definitely stores their bottles horizontally.

 

Store them however you want to store them. I don't think it truely makes any difference other than horizontally stored bottles being highly accessible. Some argue that there's less of the beer's surface in contact with oxygen when they are vertical which will change the development of the beer. I can't imagine it would be a highly noticeable difference in taste if you did a comparison.

 

All I know is, I don't really like the idea of my beer soaking in cork for years. I'd rather store it upright and keep it away from the cork. Also, given Cantillon's capped *and* corked bottles, you'd figure that would be enough even vertically. However, I doubt any lambic I own will last beyond 5 years before I get around to drinking it, so "aging" here is a bit of a relative term...

 

I kept my lambics horizontal in a wine cooler. I have yet to age one over a year so its pretty irrelevant though.

 

I've had many old bottles that sat on the cork with no ill effects to the beer. These bottles had a stain on the side where the yeast caked on. They would have to be on their side for a considerable amount of time for that to happen. Maybe 10+ years.

 

Sometimes I think that this is true. A few hundred years are some lackey was told to stack a bunch of bottles. You can stack them really easy on their side. And I don't think that it was really anyone's intention to cellar most beer for more than a few years.

So I store all my corked and capped on the side because they fit nicely into the stack-able storage bins that I have. Although one Lou-Pepe in leaking. The corked and caged go vertical.

 

Oh, I never said my thinking on being "cork-averse" was all that sound, it's almost a superstitious on my part I know! However, given my personal timeframe for aging beers I don't think it really matters too much. I just like the idea of the cork not touching the beer I guess...

 

I don't think it matters one damn bit. I store mine standing up because it is more convenient for me.

 

Before I had wine racks installed, I had some of mine vertical on shelves, and the rest tucked away in Insignia wooden wine boxes stored horizontally. I installed wine racks about 15 months ago, and since then have stored all of the lambics (about 200 bottles) and most of my sours horizontally.

If you're looking for a cheap way to store Cantillon or Drie Fonteinen bottles horizontally, go to your local wine store and ask them for empty wooden wine boxes for Insignia wine. It's the only box I've found that is deep enough to handle the wider lambic bottles. Each box holds six bottles, and the lid actually screws down into the side of the box...keeps curious spouses and guests out, and makes you do a little work to get to your lambic, so impulse drinking is also reduced. Insignia is a really expensive wine, so don't show up at your corner store looking for the boxes. Around the end of the year is the best time to find them available. And there's always eBay if you're into paying $30/box. The boxes are longer and flat, so they stack well next to your shelves.

And if you're going to a wine store that will actually give you the boxes for free, be a sport and buy something from them while you're there picking up the boxes...especially if it's a place you don't regularly shop. It's the polite thing to do, and will likely get you boxes the next time you ask too.

 

Are the are any issues with the cork drying out after long-term horizontal storage?

 

Well, if the beer is stored horizontally, the cork is constantly exposed to beer. If you are referring to vertical storage, given that the bottle is filled with beer and is carbonated, there is a fair bit of moisture in the head space that should keep the cork moist.

 

I'm an idiot - I meant does horizontal, not vertical, storage dry out corks? Good catch, callmemickey.

 

For corked-and-capped beers (like Cantillon, De Ranke, and Fantome), I haven't experienced any problems with bottles 10+ years old being stored upright -- in theory the cap should prevent the transfer of liquid/vapor between the bottle and the outside environment. Bottles with compressed champagne-style corks also shouldn't experience any problems with upright storage since their seal is not dependent on the cork being well-saturated (the CIVC did a number of experiments with champagne which indicated a slight disadvantage to horizontal cellaring -- their hypothesis was that contact between the liquid and the compressed cork reduced the elasticity of the cork permitting more gas transfer. More here: http://beeradvocate.com/community/t...e-fridges-work-for-cellering.4839/#post-61131 ).

I can't think of any beers* that still use the uncompressed wine-style corks, but those that used to (A. Le Coq Double Extra Imperial Stout, Gale's Old Ale, Sam Adams Triple Bock, etc) definitely had serious issues with long-term upright storage, including significant ullage and oxidization.

*: The Newport Storm Annual Releases don't count as beer in my book

 

I think you got this one wrong twice in a row lol...

 

Wow, lol. *VERTICAL* storage is what I initially meant to say. Was reading horizontal in my head when I typed it out the second time. Thanks, Walter and Mickey.

 

My cellar is designed for wine, hence, I have no choice but to cellar everything on it's side. Since it's kept at 56*F and out of the light, I feel like horizontal vs vertical is of little concern.

One pro-vertical consideration to add: less beer exposed to the air in the bottle.

 

But is there acutally "air" or oxygen in the bottle?

 

aaaaand I'm an idiot. Somehow my eye glanced over that.

Yes, but it's so minimal that I'm not even sure the "exposure" difference between hor/vert storage matters.