The BeerMama Blog

How To Properly Store Bottled & Canned Beer

Drew Fortin — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:00:00 GMT

Storing packaged beer is much easier than storing kegs and cleaning draft lines. Bottled and Canned beer should be stored in a dry location at a cool temperature (between 35 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit is best). If you are transporting beer without refrigeration try to avoid hot or cold drastic changes in temperature. If the beer is exposed to freezing temperatures for long periods of time you risk the vessels exploding due to pressure. At warm temperatures, sometimes as low at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria can form in the beer and quickly spoil the flavor and form a cloudy beer.

Bottled beer is the preferred vessel of most brewers because it’s easier to package (it’s also been part of beer tradition for hundreds, if not thousands of years). One of the greatest challenges with bottles is the fact that they are made of glass, and glass lets in light. Studies have shown that when beer is exposed to any amount of light, chemicals called mercaptans (same chemicals skunks used for their famous aroma) immediately start to form. The longer the exposure, the more “skunky” tasting the beer. For the most part, beer bottles are dark in color to block as much light as possible. Sam Adams even went as far to create a six pack with high walls to block the light even farther. As for clear glass bottled beer, I assume you can guess why you need to add a lime.

(Regular six packs let in light. Samuel Adams now uses high wall packs that block a lot of the light and keep it from the beer.)

Beer cans have suddenly started to make a comeback among craft brewers. Although a can may not be as cool looking in presentation as a bottle, and may also have an association to the general public as a “cheap beer,” canning is more likely to preserve the beer the way the brewer intended. Not only does it block the light, but it’s air tight (bottle seals can break), can better withstand changes in temperature and has an extended shelf life.

Although it’s not rocket science, take care when transporting beer and keep an eye on your refrigerators temperature. Storing Kegs and maintaining draft lines is a whole other story. Once the brewer works their magic, it’s the distributors and ultimately the beer retailer’s job to make sure consumers taste exactly what the brewer intended.

Mass Brewers Guild Lobbies for Growler Filling in Store

Drew Fortin — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:48:00 GMT

Just in! I received a tip from one of my sources within the Massachusetts licensed alcohol and beverage store community last night. The Mass Brewers Guild recently started a lobbying effort on Beacon Hill that allow beer retailers to fill growlers. My source did not have more information beyond that so I will keep you posted as more information roles in. Either way, this is a step in the right direction for the FYOB concept. Massachusetts is known to have some of the more strict (some may even go as far to say ridiculous) alcohol policies in the nation, so if we can maneuver this playing field, other states shouldn’t be as difficult.

If anyone has more information on what the MBG is attempting to do, please share information and thoughts.

Draft Line Hygiene and Keg Storage Conditions Impact Beer Taste

Drew Fortin — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:50:00 GMT

Discussions about off flavors in beer are often kept inside brewers circles. Different types of yeast, brewing techniques, and even the water you choose to brew with can dramatically change the flavors of the beer being brewed. Sometimes these off flavors can spoil your batch. Aside from the actual brewing process, draft line hygiene and beer keg storage conditions impact the beer’s taste.

Keg Storage

Unlike bottled and canned beer, most kegged beer in the US is not pasteurized. Therefor temperature is the most critical factor when storing your keg. I recommend keeping a keg temperature of 37 degrees (a degree make a big difference, so try to stay exact). This will prevent the CO2 from breaking away from the beer which will cause massive amounts of foam and could cause a cloudy beer with a sour taste (unless it’s a Lambic of course).

If you allow the temperature of your keg to exceed 50 degrees you welcome the creation of bacteria that will cause your beer to become flat, cloudy, and just awful tasting. Because the temperature around the keg can fluctuate rapidly (like opening and closing the refrigerator), take the temperature of the beer itself and not the keg.

Keep Your Draft Lines Clean… Or Else!

Even if you store your beer kegs correctly, the hygiene of your draft lines is a critical factor in the beer drinking experience. By dirty, I mean filled with bacteria. As the beer passes through the lines it sticks to the walls and sits between uses. If you are running beer through long unrefrigerated draft lines, then you increase the chances of that stagnant beer generating tons of bacteria. Ideally draft lines should be cleaned about once every week or so (do not exceed 2 weeks). If you are changing the kind of beer you are running through the lines, you should you clean the lines even if it’s been within a week.

Cleaning draft lines is a somewhat quick task that involves pumping water mixed with sanitizing solution through the lines, letting it soak for a bit, then flushing the lines clean with fresh water. If you sell beer and don’t have the time to clean your lines, there are local beer draft cleaning services that can do it for you.

Beer sellers are the last point in the beer delivery cycle (brew, distribute, sell) to the end consumer. So long as nothing has happened to the beer along the way, it is their responsibility to keep their lines clean to ensure the consumer tastes the beer as close to as how the brewer intended.