How long does homemade beer last? How to store draft beer? How to store beer in plastic bottles

Beer is a very sensitive drink. If you don't drink open bottle with beer per day (and for some varieties - for several hours), its pleasant taste disappears, giving way to sour. This manual will be useful for those who prefer draft beer to bottled beer and regularly ask themselves how and how long draft beer can be stored.

How long can you keep draft beer

The average shelf life of draft beer is 3 days, subject to storage rules. Such a short period is due to the fact that during bottling the beer comes into contact with air, the bottle is not airtight and not sterile. How long can you store draft beer in a bottle without it spoiling? Here are some tips.

• Of course, the beer must be in the refrigerator. Strong beer should be stored at a temperature no higher than 15 degrees, low alcohol - no higher than 10.
• If the beer is not stored in the refrigerator, but in another cold place, make sure that it is dark. Bacteria are more active in the presence of lighting.
• Bottles must be stored vertically.
• Live beer is stored at room temperature. The fermentation process is still going on in it, so hypothermia will kill bacteria and spoil the taste of beer.

How to store draft beer in a plastic bottle

How to store beer in a plastic bottle? If possible, not for a long time, observing the temperature regime. Before sending the bottle to the refrigerator, make sure that the cap is tightly screwed on. In dark plastic bottles, beer lasts much longer.

There are only two ways to enjoy fresh beer without fear for its safety: buy it not for future use, but for one evening, and buy beer in kegs. Kegs keep beer fresh for up to several months due to tightness and lack of contact with air, and after opening the drink remains perfectly fresh for up to 10 days.

Bottles and cans of commercial beer always have an expiration date, although many people don't pay attention to it. In this case, the refrigerator is considered the best place to store the purchased drink. WITH draft beer the situation is more complicated: it is recommended to use it in the near future (an average of three days). However, beer brewed at home is a completely different product. It contains specific enzymes and biochemical processes continue. Often real taste and the aroma of the drink are revealed only after a certain period of storage. So, how long can you store homemade beer and what conditions do you need to create for this?

Shelf life home beer depends on the method of fermentation and the type of drink. The brewer is directly responsible for the long life of their product. The alcohol content has a direct effect on the aging of beer: stronger drink the longer it can be stored. Ethanol plays the role of a natural preservative. The presence of a large amount of protein compounds not only spoils the color of the beer, but also reduces its shelf life.

After the beer is bottled, conditionally considered ready, the maturation process begins. It can last from several days to several weeks. In this case, the drink is actively saturated with gases. At this time, low temperatures are not required, it is enough to place the bottles in a dark cool place. Dropping out yeast sediment is the norm. Unfiltered top-fermented beer will keep longer. The residual amount of yeast acts as a stabilizer and inhibitor of oxidation processes, so the beer is stored for more than six months without pasteurization.

Golden rules for bottled home beer:

• the location of the container must be vertical;
• exclude penetration sun rays, detrimental to the "live" drink;
• strictly observe the temperature regime (10 - 12 ° C);
• caps must be screwed tightly, waiting about a minute after filling the bottle to force out atmospheric air.

by the most the best place for storing homemade beer is the cellar (both dark and cool). The refrigerator is only used for short-term storage, because too low temperatures reduce the quality of the beer and cause haze.

It is advisable to use dark glass containers. Plastic bottles are convenient, but they store beer worse.

There are only recommendations for extending the shelf life, the result itself depends on the skill of the brewer. Set the maximum (when the beer is still drinkable) and optimal (when the beer gets its best taste qualities and aroma) shelf life of homemade beer can only be experimentally determined. To do this, you need to keep a brewer's journal, where, along with the recipe, note the beer tasting indicators on different terms storage.

According to the inhabitants, home-made beer cannot be stored for more than a month. In fact average term storage of medium strength beer is 3 - 6 months. Some varieties are prepared specifically for storage for several years.

Homemade beer - unique and useful product but only as long as it is kept fresh and ready to eat. If in a store-bought bottle the expiration date is indicated on the label and equals several months or even years, then a drink brewed on its own has not only a distinctive term, but also requires special conditions storage.

On average, homemade beer can last 3 to 6 months. Conditional readiness is determined by the moment of bottling. But completely ready for use, it is considered after ripening, which lasts several days, and for some species - weeks. During this period, the drink is best placed in a not cold, but cool and dark place and a suitable container.

To ensure proper and long-term storage, the following basic requirements should be observed:

Avoid getting hit sunlight, which adversely affects the state of the drink.

To do this, it is important to decide on a storage location that meets the conditions. Perfect option- basement or cellar, and in the refrigerator for a long stay with low temperatures causes confusion. A dark glass container is also suitable. Plastic cannot provide long term freshness and ensure a safe fermentation process.

• The location must be strictly vertical, so glass bottles or barrels have a thickened bottom, which makes the container stable, and the density of the material eliminates the appearance of mechanical deformation.
• The optimal temperature regime, which should be maintained during the entire storage period, is 10-12 °C.
• tight closed bottles prevent air ingress. To force it out when closing the corks, it is recommended to pause for about one minute after filling the bottle.

The shelf life of homemade beer largely depends on the brewing recipe, as well as the method of fermentation, strength and type.

The peculiarity is that biochemical processes do not stop after the main stages of cooking. Therefore, sometimes homemade beer loses its original taste after a few days, but remains usable. Some varieties require a long exposure to reveal their aroma and taste. At long-term storage drink it is recommended to give preference to dark glass of high quality.

When using top-fermenting yeast, the drink is stored much longer, sometimes reaching six months. Such bacteria act as a natural stabilizer and do not allow it to oxidize. But the appearance of a natural small sediment is the norm.

Alcohol acts as a natural preservative for beer. The higher its content, the longer the drink will delight with freshness (but if you overdo it, then the perfect taste balance is lost). Protein components, on the contrary, reduce this indicator and change color.

Each brewer chooses his favorite recipe and method of preparation. Its skill and proper storage to a large extent determine how long homemade beer can please with freshness, aroma and taste.

How to properly store beer is of interest not only to specialists. The drink is considered simple and it is not customary to treat it with great attention, this is a completely reckless opinion. Failure to comply with the recommended storage conditions may result in spoiled product.

Some types of stout or porter can go bad in a few hours. By purchasing a large number of drink, you should take care of proper storage in advance and create for it the most suitable conditions content.

How long can beer lie under the storage conditions?

At the present time, regulations have been established that regulate the basic requirements for beer according to GOST. Interstate standard 31711 - 2012 was adopted by Rosstandart on November 29, 2012 and is listed under order No. 1558 - art. A list of storage periods has been compiled, which are required to comply with all outlets selling the drink.

In plastic "spill" lies no more than 3 days.

• Draft beer in a plastic bottle- 3 days.
• IN glassware- from 9 to 12 months.
• Pasteurized beer - stored for 6 to 12 months.
• Live - 8 days.
• Unclarified - 3 days.
• Unfiltered clarified beer - 5 to 7 days.
• Home - up to 3 months.
• Draft beer (craft) - up to six months.
• In kegs - up to six months.

Based on the requirements of provision 8.3 of this act, the expiration dates of all items beer drink, the rules for its transportation and preservation are established by the manufacturer. According to the established requirements of GOST.

Only if the necessary requirements are met can one achieve good results preservation and support high quality product being sold. Under these conditions, the seller and the consumer will always be satisfied with each other.

What is the best container to store beer in?

At the manufacturing plants, the liquid is poured into containers chosen by the manufacturer. For every variety foamy drink determined by the most suitable container for packaging and storage. Weak alcohol is bottled and stored:

in kegs

The keg is made from high quality of stainless steel that adapts to the drink and increases its shelf life

Kegs are cylinders of high-quality stainless material, equipped with a special filling valve.

Barrels are not too voluminous and can hold up to five liters of drink. They can have significant volumes in terms of displacement and contain up to one hundred liters of beer. They are sealed. Depending on the variety, the shelf life is significantly increased.

Foamy liquid can be stored in such a container for up to six months. But after uncorking, subject to temperature regime, the safety is reduced to five days.

In aluminum cans

This good method storage, but not always. Banks are subject to deformation and give in to mechanical influence. If the inner protective layer is damaged, then the quality of the drink decreases during long-term storage.

In glass bottles

Interesting beer bottle labels

This is a traditional and proven method of storage. At glass containers there is only one requirement proper storage, it should be dark A.

The bottle is an excellent container for a good preservation of a foamy drink, but there are some drawbacks.

At an unscrupulous manufacturer, the lids do not always fit tightly to the neck and allow air to pass through. It is unacceptable. Such weak alcohol loses its taste properties and unusable.

In plastic bottles

Plastic is not the most best material for storing beer

PET containers are completely unsuitable for storage. During the time spent in a plastic bottle, the drink reacts with plastic secretions, subsequently forming toxic substances. It is impossible to poison them, but they do not bring benefits either.

If there is a need to purchase a drink in PET containers, then you should carefully study the release date. Drinking should have a short implementation time.

How long can homemade beer stand?

Ardent fans of weak alcohol brew it at home. But there are many questions about the shelf life. Quality and suitability depend on several factors:

Quality homemade cherry beer aged 3 months for carbonation (has great taste and color)

• Complete sterility during manufacture.
• The most suitable container for the drink and tight sealing.
• The type of product being produced.
• Storage conditions.

The shelf life of live beer produced in the factory is determined by a month. Thanks to individual approach home production increases the shelf life by several times. Experienced manufacturers are confident that the observed sterility will allow the drink to ripen for up to six months.

For basic technological processes recommended ripening time is one month. If all sterility requirements are met, then the holding period is extended to three months.. The result is an excellent live drink that any production brewer can envy.

Can open beer be stored?

Open beer is not subject to preservation. After uncorking, the unfinished drink expires after a while, completely losing its taste. Drinking such a drink is not worth it, as you can harm your stomach and get poisoned.

When oxygen enters the bottle, there are many oxidizing microbes. Uncorked beer is limited to only a few hours of shelf life.