Checking ABV after Aging

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by tesla323, Aug 30, 2014.

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  1. tesla323

    tesla323 Initiate (0) Apr 3, 2012 Texas

    I have several beers I am aging right now. I have a Stone 2013 Old Guardian Barleywine and a Stone Woot Stout that have just completed a year of aging, and I think I am ready to sample them. I also picked up a Firestone Walker 2014 Double DBA to age for next year. Is there a way to measure if the ABV of these beers has increased after aging for a year? Or is there a rule of thumb regarding ABV increase per year?

    Thanks!
     
    #1 tesla323, Aug 30, 2014
  2. ASak10

    ASak10 Initiate (0) Jan 2, 2014 Colorado

    #2 ASak10, Aug 30, 2014
  3. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah

    What makes you think it would increase? To get higher ABV, there has to be some continued fermentation taking place in the bottle. A sealed bottle would lead to an explosion of said bottle.

    The beer isn't evaporating and concentrating in the bottle, so there's no change.

    So, sure.. there is a way to measure it. It's knowing the original final gravity at bottling, and then checking it against what you'd have in a year.

    But, it's probably pretty darn close to the same, otherwise you'd have a beer that is unstable, and would more than likely explode in your cellar.
     
    #3 FATC1TY, Aug 31, 2014
    TomClem and slym like this.
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