Storing Beer
Contributed by Roger Mittag
Beer should receive the same care you would give to any other perishable. My guidelines will help keep your beer as fresh and flavourful as the brewer intended.
Store beer upright in a cool, dark place
- Store beer upright to ensure a clean yeast-free pour. When bottles or cans are stored on their side, it can create a ring of yeast inside the container that will not settle.
- Store beer in a cool place with a temperature of approximately 2-10°C. If ever frozen, beer should be discarded.
- Store beer in a dark place, away from light. Ultra-violet light spoils beer, causing it to become “light struck” and skunky in smell and taste.
Guarantee Freshness
- Do not store an opened beer. The carbonation will evaporate and leave you with a flat beverage. Drain the remainder or use it to cook with.
- Draught beer has to be refrigerated at all times to maintain freshness. Finish a home draught set up (depending on the type of system and dispense gas used) within one-three weeks.
