Beer storage temperature

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Hi all

I can't find a thread on this so I will ask here.

In your opinions, what would be the correct temperature to store your lagers, ales and stouts?

I think my current fridge is over-chilling my beers and I am noticing loss of flavour. I'm not sure if over-chilling is causing it though.

I have just bought a new kegerator and my plan was to set it at 7C, as a middle of the road compromise to suit most beers. Do you think this is ok or do you have any other advice to give please?

TIA

 

[AJA]

Interesting that you notice a loss of flavour at lower temperatures. I think the industry favours a 4oC cold chain to preserve beer.
My serving fridge is set to 4 degrees give or take. It's not ideal for serving in terms of maximising taste, but a little while in the glass warms it up to drinking temperature.
It takes me ages to drink a keg, so shelf life is important.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

You'll think I'm daft - but I see it like tomatoes.

I feel like once it's been chilled that much, the flavour is gone forever. I've certainly had that with a few of my beers.

So you think 4C for all styles?

 

[AJA]

The flavour always comes back in my experience. I find beer in pubs is often served too cold, so wait patiently for the flavour to bloom, to the annoyance of my co drinkers. Maybe others agree with your assessment though that flavour can go forever.
If I just had English beer or dark beers in the kegerator, I'd set it higher as these aren't as prone to spoiling as say a NEIPA or APA.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

ok, thank you.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Hi Tess, i would say for bitters pale ales english ipa 12c, for lagers and stuff 3 to 4c, so your 7c is middle of the road, my only fridge were my kegs are is about that and i can't say i lose flavour because i have never tried anything else

 

[Leon103]

I doubt its the fridge causing loss of flavours. When you visit brew York next ask them about serving temperature. U prefer my beers cooler, I sip a pint at home, during that hour it warms up. Never really tested my temperature of my fridge, 3 on the dial seems perfect. When my last one broke it was sat at 11c and that was too warm.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Thanks guys. I was hoping for differences in opinion.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I doubt its the fridge causing loss of flavours. When you visit brew York next ask them about serving temperature. U prefer my beers cooler, I sip a pint at home, during that hour it warms up. Never really tested my temperature of my fridge, 3 on the dial seems perfect. When my last one broke it was sat at 11c and that was too warm.

On my big fridge-freezer I'm using at the moment, I turned it right down to number 1, waited 24 hours, poured a beer and took a temperature reading. It was 7.2C.

We've been having trouble with it though as the freezer kept defrosting, when we were in the minus temperatures cold spell we've just had. We thought it was broken, but turning it down to 1 fixed it. WTF lol. Almost like it was colder outside of the freezer than in

 

[Agentgonzo]

Mine just sit in my garage.

On my big fridge-freezer I'm using at the moment, I turned it right down to number 1, waited 24 hours, poured a beer and took a temperature reading. It was 7.2C.

We've been having trouble with it though as the freezer kept defrosting, when we were in the minus temperatures cold spell we've just had. We thought it was broken, but turning it down to 1 fixed it. WTF lol. Almost like it was colder outside of the freezer than in

Our drinks fridge is set to 1 (of 6) and drinks seem to come out around 8-10 degrees (depending on where they are in the fridge).

That's obviously only for serving the beer. For storage, they just sit in the garage. I know that the serving temperature affects flavour (colder makes it harder to taste things) but as others have mentioned, as it warms up you get the taste back. I've never heard of cold storage/lagering permanently affecting the taste though (unless it freezes)

 

[Zoiks]

I drink alot of canned neipas and tend to take them out of the fridge for a while before drinking as the hop flavour is definitely alot stronger at higher temps, but there are a load of ideal serving temps by style online like this.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I will start with 7C then for my first beer I put in it and if it doesn't last that long I'll turn it down a bit.

I only have one at the moment brewed and its an apricot hoppy pale. Not ready to drink yet, it's not even 3 weeks old. It wasn't dry-hopped but had a large whirlpool addition. Husband has a strong stout but it's still in the fermenter.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I drink alot of canned neipas and tend to take them out of the fridge for a while before drinking as the hop flavour is definitely alot stronger at higher temps, but there are a load of ideal serving temps by style online like this.

Pity it's not in celsius - I can't understand fahrenheit

Mind you I need a one-temperature fits all really.

 

[Zoiks]

Yeah same, sorry was both being lazy and also liked the visual, end up sat on Google converting them

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

It’s supposed to be the case that beers are kept at low temperatures to stay fresh for longer - beers oxidise/stall more quickly at warmer temperatures.

However, in general I don’t like chilled beer so all my beers are stored at 13C, year round. I have had heavily hopped beers stay fresh for up to six months (that’s when I finished the keg) so it doesn’t follow that your beer WILL oxidise.

I should say I pass my Pilsner and sometimes other beers through my chiller - never stouts, bitters, milds, browns, porters.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Excellent, thank you H.

I have a friend who refuses to drink beer if I put it in the fridge at all

 

[Zoiks]

Had I not been in the office I would have done the conversion on the image for you, clearly always focused when I'm working from home.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Me too - always got youtube or this on

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I drink alot of canned neipas and tend to take them out of the fridge for a while before drinking as the hop flavour is definitely alot stronger at higher temps, but there are a load of ideal serving temps by style online like this.

Can we have proper beer temperatures please.

 

[nickjdavis]

On my big fridge-freezer I'm using at the moment, I turned it right down to number 1, waited 24 hours, poured a beer and took a temperature reading. It was 7.2C.

We've been having trouble with it though as the freezer kept defrosting, when we were in the minus temperatures cold spell we've just had. We thought it was broken, but turning it down to 1 fixed it. WTF lol. Almost like it was colder outside of the freezer than in

So...with most fridge-freezers, the main control thermostat/sensor is usually in the refridgeration system. If you use the fridge freezer outside (in a garage say) and the temperatures drop very cold, then the main refrigeration system decides that it isn't needed at all and turns off....this in turn causes the compressor to turn off and the freezer to stop freezing.

https://blog.buyspares.co.uk/applia...r-fridge-freezer-defrost-in-the-cold-weather/
Certain brands/models (I have a Siemens fridge-freezer what was second hand when i bought it maybe 12 years ago and was told that it wouldnt work outside for the above reasons and it has worked flwlessly) including Beko do not suffer from this..