"Keep Cold"

IMHO beers containing lactose should be kept cold until consumed. Otherwise I find them to develop an off flavor way too soon. Have a milk stout I brewed up in late December been keeping down in the basement and just this week popped one open after chilling it in fridge and it is starting to exhibit a slight souring so had to find a way to fit these into the fridge immediately.

 

I think it comes down just to freshness for some; when a beer is kept at fridge temp around 30-40 degrees it will tend to age/change significantly slower than if kept on a shelf at room temp. For beers that you want to drink fresh like an IPA, keeping it constantly cold will extend the life of the hops a bit vs keeping it warm.

 

Unless is it is a beer that's meant to be stored/consumed at cellar temperatures (dubbels, tripels, quads, old ales) it wouldn't hurt to keep it in the fridge at around 35F. I find that especially for hoppy beers, it can really extend the life of the beer quite well.

I've never had the self-control to save something in my fridge (although I do cellar) for any length of time over a month but if a brew that is around two-months old can taste fresh, I can only imagine how long you could push the life of a brew.

 

It increases the beer shelf life.

 

I know one of the Houston breweries (Saint Arnold) advertises they are unfiltered, do not pasteurize, and do not use preservatives. So, it's probably just to extend the shelf life.

 

What about allowing a chilled beer to get back to room temp, and then re-chilling it? Can that negatively affect a beer?

 

I tend to store everything in my beer fridge.... hops last longer in the cold, and it's always nice and dark.

for certain beers like sucks, staying chilly is essential. It loses it's hoppy punch within a few weeks if you don't. (vs lasting about 5 or 6 weeks in the fridge).

 

I've heard people say that drastic changes in temp should be avoided. But small changes are nothing to worry about. But that's just what I've heard. I don't feel qualified to give an opinion.

 

I keep IPAs and certain "flavored beers" (beers with flavors that tend to fade quickly, like coffee or fruit) in the fridge. Now this is just personal preference (please don't judge me too harshly for this), but I also keep certain bourbon-barrel-aged stouts in the fridge. I don't consume them cold (I let them come to room temperature for a while before drinking), but I do store them cold. I happen to like those bourbon-barrel-flavors when they are most assertive, so I prefer to store them cold to make them last longer. Yes, this goes for KBS and BCBS ( blasphemy! I know, but this is how I prefer to store it - your mileage may vary. )

 

I've never experienced a decline in quality doing this (at least, not one that I could detect). Personally, I think that beer is much more resilient than some BAs give it credit for. I find that you can "kick it around a little" and it doesn't get hurt. Just keep it away from sunlight, excessive/extended heat, and oxygen and it does just fine.

 

• Properly stored beer is a thing of beauty. 55°F out of sunlight or UV lighting and low humidity.

• Hoppy beers do better (last longer) in a colder environment.
• Cold beer going to warm and then back to cold won't change the beer one bit.

 

For the most part I suspect this is an appeal by the brewer to the retailer to keep his or her beer refrigerated to prevent it from tasting like wet cardboard after sitting on a warm shelf for several months. Beer ages slower at colder temperatures. This is especially important for anything loaded with hops because the aromas and flavor can go south within 3 months. This also applies to lighter beers such as lagers - Gussie Busch used to insist that his beer be refrigerated from the brewery to the retailer.

Big beers such as Russian Imperial Stouts, Barleywines, old ales, Belgian strong ales can stand some age. Beers with wild yeast (lambics, saisons) can stand some age under the right conditions. The problem is that Brett will eat anything and will keep going and lactobacillus such as found in Berliner Weisse does not always stop when you expect it to. I've lost a few bottles that way and had I refrigerated them they would not have exploded.

 

Doesn't JK or some brewery put on some of their bottles to allow them to cool for more than 24hrs before opening? I wonder what the benefits are other than the clarity becoming greater...

 

Good to know!

 

I also do this unless I have a bulk of High Gravity beers that are too big for my Fridge. They go into the cellar. For the most part I refrigerate all my beer and drink them Chilled not Cold.

 

Unless you plan on cellaring it, keep it in the fridge.

 

I have some cans of Sweet Action that say to keep them refrigerated. I haven't been. I don't notice any difference.

 

maybe it is a CYA thing?

 

This is my go-to practice. Just remember to drink at the proper temperature (you'll be rewarded for doing so).