How do you control beer serving temps?

It's still preferable to the regular fridge, imo. You may as well use it for a while and see what you think.

If you feel like spending some extra bucks, though, there are external thermostats that you can get. They require no installation, you just plug the power cord into it.

 

+1 on taking it out of the fridge 20 min before drinking. If you don't want to 'wait' 20 min to drink, take out 20 min before you plan on drinking it. This process involves no waiting.

 

But it does involve planning... even worse!

 

The effort spent on beer temperature should be related to how much it affects taste, or at least your perception of how it impacts taste. Beers coming out of my fridge (regular standup fridge) are probably mid thirties. Heavier beers I usually let sit outside of my fridge for a while, its in my basement so they can sit out and not get too warm so not a lot of effort other than knowing I'm going to drink later. There's usually a big difference in taste for these beers. I drank a Founders Breakfast Stout the other day straight out of the fridge after snowblowing late at night and it was almost all coffee flavor. When its warmed up a bit the other flavors come into play. Drinking it cold or "at the proper temperature" are both enjoyable but the warmer beer is definitely better. If possible I would definitely put in extra effort to get the most out of these sorts of beers.

Pale Ales or IPA's I don't worry so much about, most of the IPA's I drink are from my kegerator which is 38 degrees at the tap so that the CO2 is balanced. By the time I walk upstairs and start drinking it if its 40 degrees it doesn't seem to bother me much. Odds are by the time I get to the last sip its in the "proper" tasting temperature and it really doesn't taste any different than the first sip to me. So personally I don't taste much difference once its around 40 degrees but if its too cold then the taste certainly becomes muted (e.g. when the temperature dial accidentally gets bumped and its at max cold). So really it all comes down to effort vs reward.

 

Yeah, 45 to 50 should be good for most brews, depending on what you are keeping in there. If it's mostly pale lagers/Pilsners and the like then favor the lower end; if it's heftier beers then the higher end.

 

That is entirely subjective.

You can obtain a list of suggested serving temperatures per particular beer style but you really should let your own personal palate be the proper guide here.

Cheers!

 

Keep beer in the beer fridge? Yup. I have a cellar with a closet against an underground wall. Cellar temp barelywines and stouts. 3-4 months of the years. Sweet. Cooling down a warm beer? Ice and water in a bucket.

 

The other added benefit of drinking beers a bit warmer is that your taste buds are more perceptive vs. being 'frozen'.

Cheers!