How Long Can I Store My Beer?

[Jbu60]

I'm planning on brewing some beer next week and gonna store it in 2-3 demijohns. How long can I keep it there before I need to drink it?

 

[NorCal]

Beer, brewing? What is that?

Certainly a few months, but since it has no added SO2, nor the acidity or alcohol of wine, I would not think much more than that unless you have a super sterile environment.

 

[Jbu60]

So how do beer folks keep their beer??

 

[AkTom]

I ferment 2 weeks (more or less), transfer to a bottling bucket with a bit of priming sugar, bottle, wait 2 weeks, and start drinking.
Have you made beer before?

 

[Elmer]

I'm planning on brewing some beer next week and gonna store it in 2-3 demijohns. How long can I keep it there before I need to drink it?

I ferment for 2-3 weeks. Bottle, condition for 2-3 weeks.

I would suggest bottling. Depending on the beer you can age for some time. I have had a barley wine aging for 2.5 years (drink 1 every 6 months).

The problem with storing in a carboy, what do you use to top up if you don’t have right size?

Not to mention that gas will escape the liquid while in a carboy (I think). In a bottle it is trapped.

Just my opinion.

 

[Jbu60]

I have a 55lb bag of barley that I was considering brewing off in one day and fermenting together in a drum. Just a single step infusion, first time brewing... I figure I'll get 150L of beer, can't drink it all at once, so want to see how long I can store it in a demijohn with a good #11 rubber plug!

 

[BernardSmith]

I've brewed beer and stored it for years in bottles and it was still very drinkable but you are still going to have to package the 150L of beer the minute you remove even a half liter to drink. Just my opinion, but if you have not got the wherewithal to close the deal it may be better not to start it and in this context "closing" means packaging

 

[Mismost]

I brewed a high ABV Bock with pecan, COFFEE, and coconut...it was one ingredient too far and muddled mess on the taste buds. Stuffed into a closet. Three years later, it is one the best beers I have ever drank and so says all who get a taste. I suspect most beers would benefit from cellering....IF GIVEN THE CHANCE.

 

[WinoDave]

You can shoot CO2 into the carboy and then seal it. CO2 should form a layer over the beer and protect it.

 

[FunkedOut]

You will want carbonate the beer and store it tha way.
You could buy a few kegs to keep from bottling.
I don’t like to bottle.
Cornelius kegs are easy to clean an reuse for all sorts of beverages. Sparkling water, sparkling wine, still wines even.
The CO2 will help protect the beer from microbes (lowers pH) and oxygen.

 

[jsbeckton]

I’ve been brewing for about 10 years. If it’s a lager I might let it go a couple of months in a carboy with no worries. After that though I’d bottle or keg it to prevent too much O2 exposure. I have barley wines and Belgians that are 5-6 years old and excellent.

 

[Desolus]

Your local soda plant will have lots of soda kegs they are throwing out, we have a Pepsi plant here and can get extremely cheep kegs that just need a little love.

 

[Jbu60]

Okay, thanks again for the info!

 

[Merrywine]

What hops and yeast are you planning to use? Sorry, I see it is an older thread. So I’ll modify the question what did you end up doing?

 

[Jbu60]

I never ended up brewing any beer! I had done a lot of research and bought equipment and a big bag of 55lb malt, but for various reasons never had the time to make it happen... I decided to get out of the business and ended up selling my equipment in order to help fund another hobby. I'm gonna just stick to wine making... Still love the idea of brewing my own beer. Maybe the time isn't right. Maybe i'll get back into it another time... But in the meantime I got a new Stratocaster! ya!

 

[Merrywine]

I produce more beer than wine, may I suggest when you get another inkling to brew start out with a small kit to see if you enjoy it. Cheers!

 

[jswordy]

I never ended up brewing any beer! I had done a lot of research and bought equipment and a big bag of 55lb malt, but for various reasons never had the time to make it happen... I decided to get out of the business and ended up selling my equipment in order to help fund another hobby. I'm gonna just stick to wine making... Still love the idea of brewing my own beer. Maybe the time isn't right. Maybe i'll get back into it another time... But in the meantime I got a new Stratocaster! ya!

Yer winemaking equipment will do for most kits and for extract brewing. You don't have to be a gearhead to make the occasional batch that way.

 

[1d10t]

I got driven off the sister site by the 'your beer is ruined before you made it because of oxidation' folks. Apparently I'm not of the nobles obliged folks of superior pallet. Good think. I enjoy my aged stouts and quads.

 

[Merrywine]

Sorry you got in with a bad crowd over there. Oh yeah, some brewers are obsessed even trying to reduce “hot side” oxidation.... I’m not sure what they do to keep their yeast happy at pitch time. But oxidation is something usually to avoid as we don’t use campdon when racking.

Mmmm, aged stout sounds good, I bottled up a BBA Imperial stout about 6 weeks ago, it needs to mellow a little. Cheers!