Improperly Stored Beer

I tend to not buy hoppy beer that's been stored at room temp, especially if the bottled on date is > 1 month ago.

 

Yes. Yes I would do so -- and in fact I have done so for decades. I'm serious!

When I worked retail (dusts off personal history book... ), we kept the store air-conditioned and under 70 degrees on the sales floor, year-round. Although that in no way sounds ideal from the standpoint and/or mindset held by a Craft Beer idealist, the nuts-and-bolts realist in me --the guy that faced labels, cut stadium style freestanding floor-stackers, swept-up broken glass-- tells me that it can work in a high-volume (that's industry code for "fast-paced") retail setting. In fact, just to make sure that it 'can work', I was spending $$$ (hundreds) of dollars of my own money each week buying beer off of my own dry shelves in order to 'sample' and ensure that package freshness (and thus real world value) would be transposed to the customer.

I also did this because, frankly, aside from my employee discount, I rarely was given bottles to sample by wholesalers.*

Bottom line: If the stock is kept cool and at a constant level of humidity (our basement warehouse was under 60 degrees F, and rather dry) an if the stock on the dry shelves moves quickly, this method of merchandising can work to ensure the proper freshness of said packages of beer at retail.

*There are laws against such things in certain parts of the country, and some of the wholesalers had been bitten by ABC agents in the past. On the upside, we were always credited for past-code beer, and the fact that I was such a stickler for receiving credit made me a very unpopular 'beer guy' with the various route sales reps. Oh, well!

 

This. Every time I've bought Carton Boat/007XX or Heady Topper they were always sold chilled, so I've brought a cooler with an ice block with me to maintain the temperature until i could get it home to a fridge. Same for growlers too since they are poured at 37-39F.

 

The realist in me agrees with that, and in fact it's only recently that freshness itself has become a major issue. Hopefully down the road beer will be stored and transported under constant refrigeration, but we'll have to get there one step at a time.

Smaller breweries who self-distribute do have the luxury of demanding ideal conditions, but for the majority of beer bought and sold we are not quite there yet.

 

I would but it greatly depends on the store I buy the beer from. On more than one occasion I have purchased two beers from separate stores that have similarly dated bottles and every single time the first beer from the first store is head and shoulders better than the second. Both sell the beer refrigerated on regular shelves. I don't know the conditions that each store employs to store their beer to make one better than the other; I only know what I have experienced. I will choose a store that has refrigerated storage over another if the beer or style is known to degrade under poor storage conditions. Additionally it just means I don't have to wait for it to cool in the fridge.

 

Unless the store in outside, with no canopy, and runs at a temp. close to boiling, I wouldn't be too worried about the beers shelf temp. As far as storing yourself; I have used a closet for over a year, and I have no trouble. I do keep my house pretty cool, but still...UV rays are your main enemy!

 

The 'challenge' of purchasing refrigerated beer from a retailer is that as a customer you have zero insight on how that beer was continuously stored. For example, that beer you just pulled out from a cooler may have been in that cooler for one day (with the rest of the time in the back of the store at room temperature). Or maybe it was indeed stored cold the 'whole' time? You really have no way of knowing.

Cheers!

 

There is a generational thing or something like that going on. As tongo mentioned beer freshness is becoming a bigger and bigger issue everyday, especially when breweries start to sell unfiltered IPAs. It takes an educated consumer to maintain the integrity of that product and some people will always generalize.

TLR There are indeed beer styles that are becoming more and more popular with a mainstream audience, "NE IPAs" North Atlantic unfiltered DIPAs and IPAs, that must stay fresh or flavor will become compromised.

 

Why do unfiltered beers have a beer stability issue?

Cheers!

 

To me, everything says to store cold any more. I don't have enough space in the fridge for it all.

 

Under 30 days I wouldn't sweat it, but the further from that time line the less likely I'll buy.

 

I actually prefer my beers to not be in the cooler when I purchase. Rarely do I drink them the same day as I purchase and even with two beer fridges I'm sometimes limited to space. I don't want to be cooling, than warming and then cooling again. If I plan on drinking it in the next week, I'll put it in the fridge otherwise I keep it in my cellar until such time I need to cool it if at all since my cellar keeps things pretty cool.

 

Cycling from cold to room temperature is not an issue. It is time spent at hot temperatures that is an issue.

All beer that is transported from brewery to retailer has gone through a few cold to room temperature cycle(s) with no ill effects.

Cheers!

 

Well, I'd say the idea that terpenes and essential oils (alpha acids) are preserved and volatile compounds to begin with. Then you have an unpasteurized, unfiltered almost turbid beer. Some people jokingly refer to them as milkshakes (what I was saying was in reference to this subset of regional ipas and dipas, I'd appreciate you keep that in context). I certainly believe that what may be so visually deterring about these beers might be one of their secret calls to glory. Somehow these beers keep getting a lot of well deserved credit, maybe what they're onto isn't just some tin foil hat conspiracy?

 

I like my beer store cold, however, I am willing to purchase dry shelf beers and have not noticed any difference between the two. I think what really matters is that the beer is fresh regardless of whether it has been cold or room temperature stored.

 

I always see that beer just wasting away on selves too. Not sure why. When fresh it's one of the best IPAs around. Also Firestone Walker is always old too around me. Even when it get delivered. Got excited when I saw the guy at the store puttin out a new case of double jack only to find out it was almost 5 months old already.

 

Alpha acids are essential oils? Please explain.

 

Light can have a bad effect on beer , most of the beer you buy on the shelf (in store)& Away from Sun-light should be fine !
just reach for a bottle in the back.!! Store your beer with a high ABV (+10%) in a cool closet (coat closet) will work just fine !
If you have room in your refrigerator , store upright on a shelf, ! The light will go out when you close the door..!!! There is one great thing About Canned beer (Sixpoint) ...Ect..The beer won't see ANY LIGHT , & it will taste fresh !!! When all beer is shipped it goes through many temperature changes, before hitting the shelf.!! Cheers....!!!

 

Yes, the "family" cannabicae is well known for the powerful aromatics of their oils. What's so hard to understand? You sound like you love to argue, so I'll hand this thread back over to you. And yes, oils that can be extracted from the lupulin gland and trichomes are indeed, essential oils.

 

Those are different compounds, both from the lupulin gland. AA will give bitterness, essential oils are where the aromatics are. Just pointing out the facts.
This discusses the differences.
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s200...ommon Hops/Hop Anatomy and Chemistry 101.html