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Rules for Storing Bottled Beer

By Blake Potolicchio | January 6, 2010 | 3 Comments

We all want to enjoy what we drink.  The beauty of craft beer is the freshness and uniqueness of product available to those lucky enough to be the recipient of distribution.  Most craft beer is enjoyed far away from its origin.  Because of this, breweries typically bottle their paradise and we have a few pointers to help guide you in keeping the integrity of the beer the brewer envisioned.

To be safe, follow some of the following points for storing bottled beers:

• Like all food and beverage, especially the freshest and most delicious, it is always best to buy fresh stock. Beer is best when it is still young from the brewery.  Be sure to check any dates the brewer may provide to indicate when it is “best by”. Give yourself a nice cushion to be able to enjoy it fresh.  Not everyone consumes every last drop until it’s gone, or do they…? So buy fresh.

• Light is the root of skunked beer (we have an article on this). The light, even artificial light, causes riboflavin to react with and break down isohumulones, a molecule that contributes to the bitterness of the beer and is derived from the hops (often called “lightstruck”). Bottles with dark brown glass give some protection to the beer, but green and colorless glass offer virtually no protection at all. Some brewers bring in chemically-modified hop extracts in place of normal hops to allow them to use clear glass.  So choose brown bottles.

• Always make sure to keep your beer stored in cool places. Warm storage shouldn’t exceed 70° F, because high temperature can cause the flavor of beer to depreciate rapidly, but avoid cold storage below 30° F. So check the temperature advice from the brewer.

• Any beer that contains sediments, keep upright when storing them. For filtered beers or beers designed to pour cloudy, this is not an issue.  Beers with corked bottles need to be stored horizontally to keep the cork moist and tight, but returned to upright position before serving.

• Make sure to store all of your beer in a clean and dust-free environment. If stored in a dirty environment, cases may absorb odors that drinkers may detect when drinking directly from the bottle.  This usually affects canned beer more than bottle beer due to the wider surface area. So store in a clean environment.

• In addition to storing in a clean environment, store your beer in a dry area as well. Dampness in storage areas can breed mold or mildew.  Make sure to store cases stacked on pallets or racks to avoid damp floors.  In addition to mold, damp storage areas may cause labels to soften or deteriorate. So store in a dry area.