Sometimes, you might find yourself with more beer than there is room in the fridge. In these situations, it’s important to know proper beer storage techniques. That way, you can keep your beer fresher for longer…
Beer Storage: Keep It Fresh
Beer’s shelf life
An important part of beer storage is knowing the shelf life of beer itself. In fact, beer has a pretty short shelf life. Most beers only tend to stay fresh for a few weeks or months after their brew date, unlike wines or liquors. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but they are very specific types of brews.
This short shelf life comes down to the beer’s pasteurization. On the one hand, it ensures the beer can last for as long as it does, especially when refrigerated. However, it also can have a negative impact on the yeast the more time goes on, to the point where it kills it off completely.
Heat & light
The two main components of beer storage are heat and light exposure. While a beer’s serving temperature can vary, it’s storing temperature needs to be controlled. High temperatures can encourage bacterial growth and ruin the overall flavor of a beer. That’s why nice, cool areas are preferred for storage.
Of course, you also have to consider outside light. Too much light exposure will “skunk” the beer, ruining it. While this isn’t a problem for canned beer, bottled beers can skunk in either a few minutes or a few days depending on the glass color. As a general precaution, it’s best to keep beer out of any light sources.
Storage areas
Once you know what ruins beer storage and why, it becomes easy to see the best places to place it. Generally speaking, your fridge is the best spot. It’s cold and has no light constantly shining onto the beer. However, there are still some spots to use if your fridge is full.
For example, if you have a basement, that may be your next best alternative. Still, even a closet located inside the house can be a good storage spot. As long as the beer is out of both the heat and the light, then it should be fine until fridge space opens up.
