Keeping Beer

[gr_baker]

I've been discussing with a friend the idea of making a few beers each year to the same recipe and keeping these to compare over an extended time. We've decided to each make a strong bitter, an IPA and a stout/porter and to bottle the beers for ease of storage and exchange.

Has anyone tried doing anything similar? Any tips, other than alcohol and lots of hops, for beer longevity?

Russell

[Pinto]

Oddy enough, I found 3 bottles of a kit Stout I made approximately 3 years ago during a clear up today. Just cracked one - nicely carbonated.... good head and colour..... but tasted bloody aweful - certainly not how I remember them being; flavour had taken on a thin, harsh, metallic note with a hint of fairy liquid. Sadly for the sink.

Brewing notes said it was 4% ABV so not a strong ale, but a good highlight that a good thing doesnt always last forever.

[BrannigansLove]

Personally, I feel that the IPA will end up being a waste of hops. Hop flavour/aroma fades pretty quickly, so you'll likely miss the best from this beer if you're not going to drink it shortly after bottling. Personally I'd sub in a strong dark Belgian for the IPA. As far as the others go, I'd go big with the stout, and aim for the 9%+ region.

[orlando]

Personally, I feel that the IPA will end up being a waste of hops. Hop flavour/aroma fades pretty quickly, so you'll likely miss the best from this beer if you're not going to drink it shortly after bottling.

That would be true of a modern IPA but if it was brewed to the standards of its inception then maturing for 6 months would be standard. This was a requirement of these very heavily hopped beers, to ensure that when drunk some of that bitterness, and importantly hop flavour, had mellowed and smoothed out.

[Buckie Brewer]

I have a 3 year old batch of Brewferm Grandcru which is really nice.

The reason for it longevity it seems to me is is not only was it 9% but it was stored (lost/forgot) in a cool and dark garage were it never saw any light or extremes of temperatures.

[serum]

If I were to do this I'd go for a strong Biere de Garde, an old English ale and a Belgian dark strong. I think the traditional IPA would be good too.

[Padalac]

Barley wine?

[Bazz]

Hope you don't mind with a slight thread hijack here, but i brewed a 7% abv English IPA about 3 months ago and it has been conditioning in bottles since. It was well hopped, 300g of EKG in total and it just starting to taste awesome, how long will it keep for? Being 7% it's not exactly a session beer (not for me anyway!) so generally would only drink 1 or 2 of an evening it's going to last.

[orlando]

Hope you don't mind with a slight thread hijack here, but i brewed a 7% abv English IPA about 3 months ago and it has been conditioning in bottles since. It was well hopped, 300g of EKG in total and it just starting to taste awesome, how long will it keep for? Being 7% it's not exactly a session beer (not for me anyway!) so generally would only drink 1 or 2 of an evening it's going to last.

In the end I suspect you will tell us but a beer like that kept in the dark & cool should last a year easy, probably longer.

[gnorwebthgimi]

After a few months over a year my 5% ABV blonde beer was pretty good but showing age - still very drinkable and enjoyable. Most of the initial hop flavour died off within the first month or two though.

6 or 7% ABV will be even better.

As mentioned storage is key.

I've been thinking about maturing an IPA for over a year and drinking at stages to see how it alters.

[millmaster]

For what its worth, I made a version of the Dark Amber Ale ( recipe 82 ) from the Durden Park Old British Beers book, it kept for two years in a King Keg type pressure barrel and was still very drinkable right up until the last drop. I have no memory of how it changed with time, other than the "earthiness" from the Fuggles declined over time

[Rookie]

You want to be anal about cleaning and sanitation. And be as gentle as possible when racking into the bottling bucket to introduce as little oxygen as possible.
I had a batch of brown ale at 4.5% and 28 IBUs that was still great at one year when I drank the last bottle.

[Rookie]

Barley wine?

Yes. I have one bottle left from a batch bottled over 3 1/2 years ago. I had the second to last one a couple of months ago and am going to sorely miss it when it's gone.

[Rookie]

That would be true of a modern IPA but if it was brewed to the standards of its inception then maturing for 6 months would be standard. This was a requirement of these very heavily hopped beers, to ensure that when drunk some of that bitterness, and importantly hop flavour, had mellowed and smoothed out.

I've got a three gallon batch of an old type IPA going that is 7.2% and 190 IBUs (calculated). So far after six weeks in the cellar it is still way too bitter to want to take more than a small sip. I plan to take a small taste every couple of months and probably bottle some time next year.

[gnorwebthgimi]

You're cellaring it... but it's not in bottles? Nope lost me. I would love to know the pros and cons of this set up.