Storing beer after bottling and keeping cool

[fryeraj]

Hi all,

First post here.

I have brewed a while ago but always had a bit more space that I do now. Also I am trying to get a decent pipeline of home brew going without drinking it too soon

I have bottled my first two brews with third on the way and put the bottles in the loft for the first two weeks of conditioning. It then recommends they go somewhere cooler for at least two weeks. I am struggling with this. My options

Keep in loft - This is getting hot at the moment due to the good weather
Put in shed - Tt is metal and also gets very warm during the day.
Put the bottles outside - Would be shaded and covered to protect it from the sunlight.
Keep in conservatory - Hot in day, cold at night - too easy to drink early

What would people suggest? In all honesty I would prefer to keep in the loft but not sure how this would affect the final beer.

 

[HeavensBrew]

I'm in a hotter spot and keeping beer at cool storage temperature is a problem for me as well. It's a limiting factor as I would love to have a constant mix of beers.

From my experience with heat, the loft will ruin your beers.

I'm even considering considering creating something underground! Before there were fridges people would build 'root cellars' to keep food stored for longer. One consideration for me is to make a hole in the sheds floor (as it's rotten and needs replacing any way) and make a concrete hole that I can store cool boxes in. I am going to check ground temperatures in the peak of summer before I waste any time/money on that idea though.

I guess another question is whether there are any good ways to keep a shed cool so a fridge would survive in it?

 

[Hew's Brews]

In my experience, after bottling and the carbonation (second fermentation) has been completed (assuming you are not force carbonating) as long as the beer remains below circa 25C it will last quite well for six to eight months though the flavour profile does change over time. Only beers > 7% seem to last greater than a year for me (not that I have many that will last that long without being drunk). I will still drink them but they get a little bland.

 

[HeavensBrew]

25C? I think that depends on what the lowest temperature of the day (the peaks and troughs). I'm only now migrating full grain, but I would keep the beer in a fridge for at least 2 weeks after carbonation (second fermentation) before attempting to store in a cupboard.
With summer temperatures never dropping below 22C in the store I found all the beers would become over-carbonated. So I ran a test on another batch of beer; with some bottles kept in the fridge and others stored outside. It proved to be the case (fine from the fridge, over-carbonated from the storage cupboard).

I guess this problem does not occur if the temperatures are lower during the night.

 

[fryeraj]

hmm so from the answers. It might or might not ruin the beer.

I have been looking round the house for other options and short of throwing my clothes away and using my wardrobe I am stuck. I am thinking outside may be the best option. I can store out of direct sunlight and maybe surround with a load of spare bricks wrap them in a tarp to keep direct sunlight off them.

 

[Clint]

I have a wooden shed and the floor has always been quite cool during the summer...
It's a difficult one...have you space or the means to put a fridge in your shed.. safely?

 

[fryeraj]

nope, full of bikes and tools. Not sure of the temp range for standard fridges? Too hot in summer, too cold in winter? Temperature really does hit you as you open door on a warm day

I have to admit I did like the idea of a secret compartment dug out underneath as @HeavensBrew was thinking about but it has a concrete floor. Although next to the shed there is a gap of about a metre wide between a fence that has possibilities. Winter my options are easier as they can live in the conservatory.

 

[terrym]

The idea of putting your beer somewhere warm for the first two weeks following bottling is that the beer carbonates as the residual yeast works on the priming sugar until its all gone. If its too cold the yeast wont work or if its just cool it will take a long time. In a warm place say above 18C two weeks normally sees carbonation done. Thereafter in an ideal world your beer should be kept in a cool place to condition. But if you havent got a cold place dont worry about it. I dont, my beer is kept in the garage so in winter it can go down to just above freezing and in the summer maybe hit the high 20*s

 

[Hew's Brews]

25C? I think that depends on what the lowest temperature of the day

Don't know what you mean. The point I was making is that after carbonation it doesn't seem to matter too much about the temperature as long as you keep it below circa 25C.

I have had boxes of homebrew in my warm garage throughout the summer and the beer doesn't spoil.

 

[HeavensBrew]

Don't know what you mean. The point I was making is that after carbonation it doesn't seem to matter too much about the temperature as long as you keep it below circa 25C.

I have had boxes of homebrew in my warm garage throughout the summer and the beer doesn't spoil.

I was trying to say that having a lower temperature during the night might stop bad things happening to the beer. ie. 25C is not ideal, but you're okay if the night time temperature is quite a bit lower. There is also the question of how many hours the beers environment is over 20C.

My original place of storing beer never drops below 21C and was lucky if it got below 26C in the warmer months. That's why now it's all either in the fridge or in my belly. It's also one of my motives for the planned switch to all-grain; I want to be able to brew in smaller batches and have lot more variety in my fridge.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

A large wet cloth placed over crates, with a breeze to aid evaporation, can hold their temperature a few degrees cooler than they would otherwise be. Keep the cloth wet. Idea is that the water evaporation needs heat energy, which it will get from your bottles.

 

[Hew's Brews]

I was trying to say that having a lower temperature during the night might stop bad things happening to the beer. ie. 25C is not ideal, but you're okay if the night time temperature is quite a bit lower. There is also the question of how many hours the beers environment is over 20C.

My original place of storing beer never drops below 21C and was lucky if it got below 26C in the warmer months. That's why now it's all either in the fridge or in my belly. It's also one of my motives for the planned switch to all-grain; I want to be able to brew in smaller batches and have lot more variety in my fridge.

Yes, I agree. I think a constant 25C wouldn't do it any good, I was thinking about peak temperature.