Just found an unopened beer after 2 years - is it safe to drink?

[Bobtheblob]

Came across a big bottle of unopened home brew beer when I went to gather my empties together for washing. As they were big litre bottles with Grolsch style stoppers I guess I haven't used them in about 2 years. I have no idea what beer was last in them, I usually do kit beers and can't remember what I made when. They are glass bottles and have been stored inside a closed cardboard box indoors.
It looks clear, is this ok to drink if it smells ok?
Cheers!

 

[starseeker]

I have just recently opened a bottle of Guinness which was over 14 years old and was delicious ,if it smells good and tastes good (a little sip) go for it .

 

[devexwarrior]

As above, pour, inspect, sniff, taste...if it passes all these tests then enjoy a sneaky find.

 

[Sadfield]

Perfectly. None of the common food poisoning bacteria can survive in the low acidity and alcohol environment of beer. Might not be any good, however.

 

[devexwarrior]

Perfectly. None of the common food poisoning bacteria can survive in the low acidity and alcohol environment of beer. Might not be any good, however.

only one way to find out

 

[Cheshire Cat]

No it’s not safe send it to me

 

[Bobtheblob]

Had a half pint, it's ok but not great. Have left it on the side and poured something else instead. If it's still there tomorrow then I'll consider it bad. Cheers.

 

[Tanglefoot]

I found a 2L PET bottle from an unknown kit of a similar vintage recently, I haven't ventured to try it yet.
Looks crystal clear though - 2+2+2 years !

 

[crescent city Mike]

Some time back I entered a few bottles of 7 year old Brown Porter in a local competition and scored 46 / 50. I guess the aging didn't hurt.

 

[klaus]

Years ago found a few bottles of pineapple lager under the stairs ... some five years old. Very nice fizz, alcohol, clear .... beer does keep well generally, alcohol is a preservative after all.

 

[Nicks90]

I still have some peach and watermelon wine and sparkling elderflower wine from 6 years ago.
Every year I open one and go 'blurgh, paint stripper'
I have 10 bottles left and you can guarantee they will only come good on the last bottle........

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Not safe to drink if driving!! Otherwise I'd always test it.

 

[531Man]

I still have some peach and watermelon wine and sparkling elderflower wine from 6 years ago.
Every year I open one and go 'blurgh, paint stripper'
I have 10 bottles left and you can guarantee they will only come good on the last bottle........

That exact thing happened to us with a sweet Seville (and other oranges) wine.
Blurgh, until YEARS later on when a hidden bottle came to light.
Absolutely fantastic desert wine.
Cried that the others had been sampled way too early!

 

[DavidDetroit]

I see question is already sufficiently answered but that's never stopped me!
Worst case scenario is it would be a little stale, maybe not even that. Observation, as mentioned. Like if the bottle gushed out or something like that. Warning signs would be obvious.
I regularly drink aged beer, homemade (2+ years). It's always good and the darker it is, the better.

 

[tigertim]

I still have a random bottle of beer I collected at the Rover dealer in Leamington Spa (Quicks of Leamington?) when they had an event to launch the "new" Rover 25, so it must have been about 1999/2000. Could never bring myself to drink it and as time has gone on, I've fancied it less and less - but it's still there, nearly a quarter of a century on

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Saw this on a pub shelf in Tonbridge

 

[foxy]

Came across a big bottle of unopened home brew beer when I went to gather my empties together for washing. As they were big litre bottles with Grolsch style stoppers I guess I haven't used them in about 2 years. I have no idea what beer was last in them, I usually do kit beers and can't remember what I made when. They are glass bottles and have been stored inside a closed cardboard box indoors.
It looks clear, is this ok to drink if it smells ok?
Cheers!

I would prefer an old beer rather than water. Despite being told repeatedly not to drink the water in Indonesia, I ordered a water after being so dehydrated from a session on the suds the night before. I should have ordered a Bintang, within 5 minutes of drinking the water I was in an Indonesian toilet, very different to a western toilet with a choice of what to do first, have a chunder or a tish. I flew the next leg of the journey laying in the isle of the Garuda airplane.

 

[user 42983]

My Dad was a homebrewer and National Beer Judge in the 1970s and he, like me now, spent most weekends brewing! He passed away 5 years ago aged 90 and while we were clearing his shed I found a bottle of his homebrew from the ‘70s (dated 1976 on the label if I remember correctly!). Well, I had to do it! I opened it and poured it into a glass and surprisingly there was a very small head and was reasonably clear. Both my brother and me tried it and it still tasted OK even after 53 years!!!

 

[user 42983]

Correction - should be 41 years old!!!!!