Homebrew shelf life

[TheGrumble]

Most commercial beers come with a best before date nowadays, and I've found that drinking them past this date can be like playing Russian roulette with your guts.

We all know that with homebrew the general rule is the longer you leave it, the better it'll be. But surely there must be a turning point? Anyone here ever left a once-decent brew too long? Any idea when they pass their best?

 

[markmark]

Depends on quite a number of factors really I would say.
Higher gravity beers will keep a lot longer than low gravity ale.....I've a 4 year old RIS in the shed that I'm still working my way through and this is only getting better with time.
Oxidation would also be a consideration; if your putting oxidised beer in to a bottle, then it will deteriorate far quicker than one that is clean.

 

[TheGrumble]

OK so what you're saying is I'd better get my Coopers English Bitter (OG 1030, FG 1006) drank pretty quickly then? Aye aye, sir! :drink:

When you say "oxidised", do you mean the beer has been exposed to excessive amounts of air, or just any beer that hasn't been brewed in a closed system? I try to keep the lid on my FV closed as much as possible but it's impossible to keep from exposing the beer to at least a little air during bottling.

 

[sam.k]

ive drunk beer that had been bottled for 2-3 years and lived in the conservatory and it was fine, the only problem is over carbonation from the more complex sugars that take longer to ferment.

 

[morethanworts]

I think he means oxidation from splashing etc after fermentation, often when racking or bottling.

Volatile hop oils can fade, so light hoppy beers especially may be better relatively young. Some beers do seem to just dry out forever in the bottle.

 

[TheGrumble]

Aye I'm going through the remains of a batch of Wherry as quick as I can because I poured it directly into the keg after fermentation, adding a lot of air. It's turned out pretty well, all things considered, but I understand from reading around on here that if left too long it could turn stale, so I'm enjoying it while it is at its best!

 

[Edindie]

My inexpertly brewed first kit beer lost all of its originally very hoppy taste by 3 months. I was left with a load of bland bitter bottles to humanely dispose of.

 

[RobWalker]

ive drunk beer that had been bottled for 2-3 years and lived in the conservatory and it was fine, the only problem is over carbonation from the more complex sugars that take longer to ferment.

is that why that happens? i cracked open some old brews over the summer and they all exploded, i had it down to inexperience!

 

[cask is best]

I;v had coopers bitter and some lagers [ can't remember what brand] that were just over a year old opened them and they tasted just the same as when i brewed them. Swmbo had a couple of bottles of cider i made her this which was a year old and she said they too were no better no worse than when they were brewed.
I have just finished a Wilko Newkie brown that i barelled in March i only used one sparklet in all that time too. Kept well carbonated right till the last pint.
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