storing bottled homebrew
- Thread starter Zambi
- Start date
They can stay at the temp you bottle conditioned at for a few weeks. I wouldn't let them go any higher. Ideally there's a spot that's around 50-55F where you could "cellar" them until there's room in the fridge.
Biggest enemies are heat and direct light
Biggest enemies are heat and direct light
Ideally: cold in the fridge. Seem to last longest and preserve the flavor best. In any case, in darkness! Lasts years.
Less ideal: Cool, dark, reduced temperature fluctuations. Lasts a year.
OK: On the shelf in the house, in a not-bright room, or covered from light. Lasts many months.
Worst: Direct sunlight, wild fluctuations in temperature, very warm. Lasts a couple months, but might taste not-great after just a month.
How warm is the river water now?
I am basing this off commercial beer. The assumption here is that whatever is in the bottle is just beer and CO2, no bacteria or other spoilage elements.
Less ideal: Cool, dark, reduced temperature fluctuations. Lasts a year.
OK: On the shelf in the house, in a not-bright room, or covered from light. Lasts many months.
Worst: Direct sunlight, wild fluctuations in temperature, very warm. Lasts a couple months, but might taste not-great after just a month.
How warm is the river water now?
I am basing this off commercial beer. The assumption here is that whatever is in the bottle is just beer and CO2, no bacteria or other spoilage elements.
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Store in the dark is number one. It stops the hops giving off the dank/skunky flavour (unless you like that type of thing). Second is as cool as you can. Fridge is best, but you may not need the extra time that gives you. Sometimes you'll have drunk them before they start showing signs of age/oxidation.
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How's that hole in the ground coming along?
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Keep them cool as possible and dark.
I do my bottle conditioning in the garage, which is the warmest part of our home, especially in winter. Once I have sampled a few bottles and determined that they are carbonated to my taste, then I move the bottles inside. Our home is on two levels, with a closet downstairs (the fermentation closet), with 2 upstairs bedrooms and their attendant closets. I have been keeping conditioned bottles in all three closets lately. When I decide to have homebrew, I’ll take bottles to the fridge. This works well for me. Luckily, our home remains relatively cool year round.
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Still rainy season....How's that hole in the ground coming along?
I'm keeping them dark, in coolerboxes to prevent temperature fluctuations.
I've managed to get them all into my fridge. It won't be real cold as I can only run it for a couple hours a day (rainy season and solar are not a good combi).
I haven't had this problem before as I generally manage to drink what I brew.
I'll bottle my 2 remaining beers and 1 cider tomorrow and they will just have to sit for 3 weeks as I will be away
