When do you have "too much" beer?

If you get to be like those Hoarder MFers on TV... where there's just beers instead of kiddy pools and newspapers and cars that don't run

 

Every time I visit the local beer store, I am tempted to purchase several six packs as there are simply so many excellent ales and lagers available. However, with what little reason I have remaining, I realize I do not have the time to drink them all in a reasonable amount of time - unless I stop working and stagger around "buzzed" most of the week. I always think of the word "freshness" when walking through the store.

 

It depends.

Suppose your intent is to increase the size of your inventory.

One good earthquake, and I'll be on a buying spree to replace lost inventory.

Just saying, the answer is different for all of us. The balanced input/output doesn't work for everyone. Suppose you have no beer on hand, Someone in that position, needs to run to the store every time they want a beer. If you want a good selection on hand, for guests, shares, personal consumption, that doesn't work well.

My point is, one size fits all solutions, rarely work well.

So the real answer is: "It depends".

To much beer for you, may not be enough for me, and might be the perfect amount for someone else.

 

I've got roughly 15 cases of beer in the basement, I personally think I'm overbloated with beer right now. It usually happens after a vacation (7 cases from Wisconsin last week).

I won't be buying any more beer for a solid couple months, at least that's what I'm gonna tell myself.

 

To me, you have too much when it goes bad before you drink it.

 

I told my wife that I was having a few friends over to help reduce my cellar. She took that to mean that in addition to the beers we drank that night I should give each of them a case or two to take home. I have too much beer, by my wife’s standards.

 

If you were to ask my wife, I have too much be too.

 

I did ask her, and she said you should send it all to me.

 

When my wife said this weekend - there's beer everywhere in this house it's kind of a clue because she's my partner in crime. But it's true - three different parts of cabinets in the kitchen, half a shelf in the huge pantry cabinet, the hutch in the dining room has a six foot line o' bottles, and there's a bag in the bedroom with beer for next Christmas...

Also - when you have beers on shelf that you plan on drinking for NBS and don't do it because either the brewery has gone out of business (I still have Pretty Things in stock) or the beer has been long-discontinued (any number of Stone beers) and ya think it's gonna look stupid...here's your sign... I have the first version of Wootstout still sitting...an Otto in Oak...the original Bitch's Brew... I'll get to them eventually, or so my mind keeps saying. In my case, I can't call it intentional hoarding, but it's a variant of FOMO called "wow - might never see that again"... Distribution has improved so much in my area that I really need to cure that one.

Been trying to eliminate some true impulse/random buys recently - open 'em up, if they taste OK drink 'em, if they start out OK and turn into odd tasting messes, dump "the rest". Found two juniper brews from Left Hand that I've had for a while - made it through about 18 of 32 ounces before dumping it on Saturday... A blood orange saison from Foolproof suffered a similar fate after far fewer ounces on Sunday. I guess not too surprising that I am finding many canned beers with some significant age on them taste pretty good. I am also finding that some "treasures" weren't so pleasant in the first place and really were impulse buys based on being local-ish or influenced by the infamous two ounce taster... Eventually supply and consumption will hopefully match...or not...

 

When you find yourself drinking beers (or NOT drinking beers) that have turned into rusty, teriyaki, papery mush instead of what they're supposed to taste like. Unless you like those notes at least. Then you'd probably use sherry and honey to describe those notes instead.

 

The only two beers that I prefer with about six months age are Prairie Pirate Bomb and Founders CBS. With Pirate Bomb, some flavors fade, allowing the rum flavor to prevail - and I prefer that. With CBS, other flavors fade, allowing the maple to prevail - and I prefer that. Both probably only degrade from there - and note that this improvement is subjective. Others may prefer them fresh.

I've had more negative experiences with beer aging. I bought a 2012 Deschutes Abyss recently (distributor aged cases of 2012 through 2017) and it had started to turn cardboard. I've had a one-year-old Founders FBS taste like green peppers, which can happen to coffee beers. And I've had a mixed bag of Founders KBS aging, some are all coffee, some where the bourbon really came out to play, and one with strong chocolate. Some of that could be my taste varying day-to-day.

 

I don't cellar, (my favored bottle shop seems to do a pretty decent job of that for me, and I mean that in a good wayand have 2 small beer fridges. I know I have too much when the beer is also in the main family fridge. That's where friends come in.

 

Having too much beer can only mean you're not consuming enough. I tend to buy too much, but I keep that under control by starting to drink at noon. Good thing I work for myself.

 

If you're throwing out or giving away old cellared beer that is your problem, but I agree that the true end of moderation occurs when your habits or hobbies, be them beer, ****, model trains, work, or what-have-you, interfere with your ability to perform in other aspects of your life, or when they negatively affect your family, or others you regularly encounter.