How long will homebrew keep?

[Jimmy M]

Hey guys,

Just wondering how long will beer last after you bottle?
Whats the best way to keep it or age it a little in the bottle?
And is room temp ok in a dark room or should I be going for the 50f mark?

Thanks!

[Graham.C]

Short answer... it depends.

Are you trying to age a mild or a Russian Imperial Stout? ABV plays a big roll, so does bottle conditioning, temperature and light. Consistent temperatures are better then fluctuating, and cellar temps are better then room temp. Darkness is a must, as hops go skunky in light. The more booze the better, years for a beer that is >7-8% and months for small beers.

Thats just my opinion, someone else might say otherwise.

[Graham.C]

Oh and Introduce yourself in the intro section.

[Jimmy M]

The beer I'm referring to right now is just a blonde logger, it's only 5%!
Im not really looking to age, just wondering how long it will last in the bottle,
I've seen people saying it tasted best at 3 months.

I'm just kinda courios on how long it will still taste good?

[Stusbrews]

Not really sure myself. My batches are usually long gone in 3 months..

[Jimmy M]

I'm trying to get a few batches on the go so that I'll always have something new coming..
I have a wheat beer fermenting and another light logger on the go as well..

[Graham.C]

Oh, I understand now. Sorry.

I find the hops mellow over time, so a 5% American pale won't be as tasty in 3 months as that English brown, but it depends on your taste. I find if there are hop flakes still in the beer, they can go grassy tasting after about 6 months. If your careful and diligent with cleaning 3 months should be fine. I would even push longer with most styles unless you want that fresh hop flavor. I have a chocolate stout ~4.5% that tastes best around 5 months.