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Aging Beer

MAS_Puros

Me as a wee one with my bottle of Abyss
Joined
Sep 27, 2007
Messages
1,485
Ok so I was thinking, I am sure some of the newbs may be wondering this as well...
...is there a specific range of aging that a specific style of beer has?

Example: Firestone Walker 11 - American Strong Ale 11%ABV, many say it's peaked and won't get any better. Is the average cellar time for an american strong ale about 2 years?

What about Old Ales, Stouts, Barleywines and Porters? I know some Barleywines / Old Ales can go for 15+ years?

The reason I am asking, this may seem anal, I am trying to plan when I should drink certain aged beers I have and which I should let sit a little longer? I don't want one to be over looked and go bad because the one I drank could have gone another year or 2.
 
A lot of it depends on personal preference I've found Mike. Also, so many different factors play into it other than ABV and style (especially since style is so subjective anyways) that it makes it difficult for any standard guidelines.
 
Thank you for asking that question. I was wondering the same thing, now that I'm getting into craft beers and starting to grow a collection.

So does that mean there's no merit to the famous 'Born On' campaign other than to encourage people to drink beer faster and buy more?
 
Thank you for asking that question. I was wondering the same thing, now that I'm getting into craft beers and starting to grow a collection.

So does that mean there's no merit to the famous 'Born On' campaign other than to encourage people to drink beer faster and buy more?

No, there is merit to the bottle dating. Some beers are better fresh, including macro lagers. Usually beers that age well are high ABV, but there are some exceptions such as lambics.
 
A lot of it is personal opinion, when you think something has reached its peak. When brewing beer at home, a lot of times you will let a batch sit for a few weeks then taste it. Sometimes you will decide it is "ready" sometimes you will give it another few weeks and try another one until you are satisfied . This applies more so to home brewed beer and non-filtered craft beers or bottle conditioned beers. These kinds of beers still have active yeast in them and the yeast will continue to work breaking down compounds as they sit. Temperature affects this process too.


Beer is usually better enjoyed fresher than not, with exceptions, Barley wine would be one of them. It is a big hoppy beer with a lot of alcohol. The alcohol helps to protect it from being oxidized. The only was to figure out the right time is to test it out for yourself. Proper storage is also important, don't leave the bottle on your shelf in the sun.

So the simple answer to your question "is there a specific range of aging that a specific style of beer has?" is no generally fresher is better.

"What about Old Ales, Stouts, Barleywines and Porters?". Stouts and Porters in my experience fall into the fresh is better category, unless it is an Imperial Stout, but you may want to pick up a few bottles of the BIG beers and let them sit, trying them maybe 6 months or a year apart and see if you can tell the difference. Take notes so you don't forget what it tasted like.

Have fun.
 
A lot of it depends on personal preference I've found Mike. Also, so many different factors play into it other than ABV and style (especially since style is so subjective anyways) that it makes it difficult for any standard guidelines.

Was hoping the answer would have been much simpler .... but looks like too many variables are in play.
 
well I brewed an ESB and a Nut Brown and then got orders to go to Iraq, still carbed and everything so im wondering how they will taste after a year
 
There really isn't any tried-and-true, standard practice when it comes to aging beers...most has to do with personal preference. As a rule, though, agressive hopping and booziness will tend to fade over time, while sweeter malt characteristics will tend to reveal themselves. SO, with DIPAs/IPAs, drink them fresh if you like them hoppy, but some tongue-bashing hop bombs tend to do well with a few months on them according to some tastes. Barleywines can be hoppy and VERY boozy when fresh, but after 6 months or so the malt really shines through after the hops fade away a bit. Higher gravity malt-heavy beers are best suited to long-term aging (think J.W. Lees and Thomas Hardy's), but that doesn't mean that something like your FW11 isn't going to keep developing as time goes on. If you like how it tastes now, though...drink up!

It's tough to buy only 1 or 2 bottles of something with the intent to lay one down for a specific time if you've had no experience with it before, so my advice would be to try some relatively affordable beers that you can purchase a 12'er or case of (I'm thinking Victory Storm King, maybe?), drink a few fresh, a few after 3 months, a few after 6, a few after a year, and a few each year after that. Take notes, and see how things go. Better yet, post your findings here!
 
Thank you for asking that question. I was wondering the same thing, now that I'm getting into craft beers and starting to grow a collection.

So does that mean there's no merit to the famous 'Born On' campaign other than to encourage people to drink beer faster and buy more?

No, there is merit to the bottle dating. Some beers are better fresh, including macro lagers. Usually beers that age well are high ABV, but there are some exceptions such as lambics.

What would you say would be the lowest point of ABV that you should not try to age, but drink while young?
 
There really isn't any tried-and-true, standard practice when it comes to aging beers...most has to do with personal preference. As a rule, though, agressive hopping and booziness will tend to fade over time, while sweeter malt characteristics will tend to reveal themselves. SO, with DIPAs/IPAs, drink them fresh if you like them hoppy, but some tongue-bashing hop bombs tend to do well with a few months on them according to some tastes. Barleywines can be hoppy and VERY boozy when fresh, but after 6 months or so the malt really shines through after the hops fade away a bit. Higher gravity malt-heavy beers are best suited to long-term aging (think J.W. Lees and Thomas Hardy's), but that doesn't mean that something like your FW11 isn't going to keep developing as time goes on. If you like how it tastes now, though...drink up!

It's tough to buy only 1 or 2 bottles of something with the intent to lay one down for a specific time if you've had no experience with it before, so my advice would be to try some relatively affordable beers that you can purchase a 12'er or case of (I'm thinking Victory Storm King, maybe?), drink a few fresh, a few after 3 months, a few after 6, a few after a year, and a few each year after that. Take notes, and see how things go. Better yet, post your findings here!

I guess I just need to start drinking more!

What would you say would be the lowest point of ABV that you should not try to age, but drink while young?

I think I heard 8% or higher but just because its higher then 8% doesn't mean it can be aged. I have notice with some of my higher ABV's that I had sit for a year start to oxidize. Maybe someone with a bit more knowledge can clarify.
 
I've aged as low as 5.5-6% ABV. Beer Advocate lists the cutoff at 7% or so, but I don't buy that. One of the more popular beers to age and do vertical tests with is Anchor Brewing's "Our Special Ale" Christmas Ale, and that usually weighs in at around 5.5% ABV, though it does vary slightly year-to-year. Lower ABV beers can stand up to some time in the cellar, but in my experience the ones that do tend to have a more robust ingredient list and aren't just watered down beers meant to be drank quickly.

If you're going to sit on something for more than a year I recommend trying to wax your caps (not necessary with corked and caged bottles). Even the best crowns can be subject to some oxidation after awhile. Various colors and flavors can be found here:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/site_search.aspx?SearchStr=wax
 
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