How long does beer last in a glass bottle? What is the best container to store beer in? How beer is stored in plastic bottles

Problem proper storage beer is interesting not only for professional brewers and collectors. The taste of lager, porter and other varieties can be spoiled in a few hours, so even if you get a dozen bottles for tomorrow's party, you still need to make sure that the beer is stored in suitable conditions otherwise guests will be disappointed. It is important to remember the following points:

1. The position of the bottle. Unlike noble wine stored in a horizontal position (so that the cork does not dry out) in special wine cellars, it is customary to store beer vertically - this reduces the contact of the drink with the cork (lid) and the air under it. In addition, sometimes there is a yeast sediment in the beer, with the correct position of the bottle, it collects on the bottom and does not fall into the glass.

2. Storage location. Beer must be isolated from the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation - this is why at the factory the drink is bottled in green or dark glass bottles, not transparent.

Obviously, freshly bought beer should not be placed on a sun-drenched window sill or left on a table - the storage place should be cool and dry.

A special beer cellar is well suited, but in city apartments one cannot count on such luxury. An alternative to professional storage is a separate beer cooler. You can get by with ordinary household ones, but then the bottles will be ventilated every time you need to get food, and regular temperature changes affect the quality not in the best benefit.

Beer can be stored in the refrigerator, but not in the freezer!

3. Temperature and humidity. It is customary to drink beer cold, but not ice-cold - with a strong freeze (as with excessive heating), the taste deteriorates. Concerning optimum temperature, a fairly simple rule applies here: the stronger the beer, the higher the temperature of its storage can be.

For pale lager and ale, a 7-10°C setting is suitable, stouts and dark ales feel best at a temperature of 12.8-15.5°C, and most varieties are perfectly stored at a standard temperature of 10-12.8°C . The recommended relative air humidity is up to 85%.

If some errors were made during the brewing of beer, and the drink turned out to be imperfect, all the roughness of the taste will appear when the temperature rises. This is another reason why beer is best consumed chilled - it will taste better.

How long can beer be stored

Open - not at all. Foamy drink completely exhausted even in a few hours, and the next day the beer will already have a frankly unpleasant musty aftertaste.

The expiration date of a bottled drink should be looked at on the label - usually manufacturers scrupulously indicate it. It all depends on the type of beer and how it is made. Eat special types, designed for long exposure - they ripen after pouring into containers. Other brands only deteriorate over time and should be consumed as quickly as possible. There are varieties designed for long-term storage up to 25 years.

Unpasteurized beer, which will not survive even a few hours of transportation, is never sent for export - it simply does not have time to reach foreign tables, it spoils earlier.

Everything is very individual. Experts say that the only reliable way define optimal time and storage conditions for beer - it is to buy several bottles of the same variety and personally taste them at different intervals, carefully recording all changes in taste in a special diary of observations.

If you plan to become a beer sommelier and devote yourself to such experiments, you cannot do without a separate cellar or at least a pantry - you will have to allocate a separate one for drinks. cool place with constant temperature and good ventilation.

Tin, plastic or glass containers?

Metal in contact with beer distorts the taste of the drink. Manufacturers, of course, try to prevent this from happening and cover the inside of the cans with a layer of protective varnish, but any deformation of the container, for example, a slight blow during transportation, leads to a violation of the integrity of this film and, accordingly, to a decrease in the quality of beer. In this regard, a glass bottle is much better - but only if it does not let in sunlight.

When the can is broken from the inside, the taste of beer deteriorates.

But there are no complaints about plastic, so even Guinness, even elite craft varieties, can be poured into unassuming poltorashki - the taste will not deteriorate, and the beer will retain all its properties.

One caveat - plastic bottles cannot be reused, as there is a risk of poisoning. Experts say that glass is nobler, but there is more personal taste than objective data.

Specialists often acquire special kegs for storing beer. These are capacious vessels of 20–50 liters, they require a well-equipped and isolated room; it will not work to put kegs “in the kitchen behind the door”. If you provide such a keg with a tap, you can regularly taste the drink and check the degree of its maturity.

There are no complaints about plastic bottles, but they are disposable

Features of storing live beer

Live beer is distinguished by a pronounced yeast sediment. The use of a refrigerator for this drink is detrimental - the yeast dies at low temperatures, and the lack of pasteurization does not allow the drink to be stored for a long time.

If you plan to take home a couple of pints of your favorite beer from the pub, make sure that the bartender does not immediately screw the cap on the bottle, but after a minute or two, this will force the carbon dioxide out of the neck of the air, which again will have a positive effect on the taste of the beer.

Factory varieties are stored for a long time precisely due to pasteurization, which kills all microorganisms, but does not affect the taste. In addition, on breweries carefully monitor the sterility of equipment and follow strict bottling rules. Essential oils Hops are excellent natural antioxidants, so there are no preservatives in real beer - they are simply not needed.

Currently, the main standard regulating the basic requirements for beer is the interstate standard 31711-2012. The text of the mentioned GOST was adopted by Rosstandart (see order No. 1588-st, issued on 11/29/12).

Expiration dates depending on the category of beer

Based on the requirements of clause 8.3 of this document, the expiration date of each brand of beer, as well as the rules for its transportation and storage, are determined by the manufacturer.

According to the above-mentioned GOST, the beer offered on Russian market, is subdivided according to several parameters. It happens:

• Dark;
• unpasteurized;
• light;
• unfiltered;
• pasteurized;
• Filtered.

Unfiltered beers divided into 2 groups. One includes non-clarified varieties, the second - clarified.

Certain restrictions on the considered shelf life of beer are imposed by other standards and legislative acts.

For example. According to the provisions of sanitary standards 2.3.2.1324-03 (SanPiN data approved on May 22, 03 by the GGSV of the Russian Federation. See resolution number 98). unpasteurized beer, due to the technology of its preparation, falls under the definition of " perishable products". Therefore, its shelf life is minimal (several hours / days), and the requirements for storage are very stringent.

Pasteurized beer(without adding preservatives) it is allowed to store up to 6 months, and with them the period can increase up to 12 months. Pasteurization refers to the process of heating beer to a temperature in the range of 60°C/80°C for an estimated time, which destroys pathogenic microflora.

To remove microparticles and excess yeast from beer, it is filtered. This procedure increases the permitted shelf life, though very slightly.

To the group "live beer" includes unfiltered unpasteurized beer. With the mandatory storage of this drink in the refrigerator, the maximum storage time declared by the manufacturers does not exceed 8 days.

by the most short terms storage different unfiltered unclarified beer. From the moment of bottling, they are no more than 72 hours.

Unfiltered clarified(for example, the well-known "Zhigulevskoye") is stored longer, from five to seven days.

home beer also refers to "live". But, if all the requirements for the technology of its preparation and storage rules were strictly observed, then it, unlike the factory one, can be safely stored for up to three months.

Draft(or as it is increasingly called in Lately, craft beer), is beer delivered to the consumer in kegs.

Once purchased, it is recommended to consume it within an hour. In the case when such beer is bottled in PET bottles, it is undesirable to store it (even in the refrigerator) for more than one day. Otherwise, it will significantly change the taste for the worse.

Expiration dates depending on the packaging

According to the provision of clause 5.3 of the standard mentioned above, all produced beer is bottled in transport (barrels) and consumer containers. The latter include:

• Kegs. Barrels made of stainless steel, equipped with a special filling valve. They are produced with a capacity of 5-100 liters. They are fully sealed and protect the drink from direct UV radiation. They allow you to significantly increase the shelf life of the drink (compared to bottled), up to six months. First of all, this concerns unfiltered grades. However, after opening, beer is allowed to be stored in the mentioned container for no more than five days (taking into account external factors).
• Glass bottles. In dark domestic beer, it is stored much longer (up to 3 months), because. higher protection against sunlight. For most imported brands of beer, these terms range from 9 (Miller beer) to 12 months. The manufacturer must indicate the expiration date on the label.
• PET bottles (plastic). The worst type of container. With prolonged interaction with alcohol, poison begins to be released - dibutyl phthalate.
• Food grade aluminum cans. Reliably protect the contents from external aggressive environments. However, they are easily amenable to mechanical stress. In this case, their deformation with chips of the internal varnish coating is possible. Which leads to corrosion of the can.

If the beer has expired

According to the requirements of current standards and legislative acts, the manufacturer must mark the expiration date of beer on the packaging. According to the explanation of the aforementioned standard, this period establishes the time period during which the beer is fit for consumption.

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. Not required at this time low temperatures, 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 the penetration of sunlight, which has a detrimental effect on the "live" drink;

strictly observe temperature regime(10 - 12 °C);

caps must be screwed tightly, waiting about a minute after filling the bottle to expel 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 glass containers dark color. 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.

(based on materials from the site http://hleb-pivo-doma.ru)

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.

Storage finished beer- final and extremely milestone work of the brewer, immediately preceding the consumption of the resulting product.

What requirements does the brewer impose on the container in which the beer should be stored?

• tightness. Of course, ideally, beer should not come into contact with oxygen at any of the stages - neither during fermentation, nor during bottling, nor during storage. Contact with air is dangerous both in terms of practically guaranteed microbiological contamination (due to wild yeast, lactic acid bacteria and other contaminants), and from the point of view of the risk of beer oxidation (which leads to the appearance of pronounced “cardboard”, “rag” taste defects). Unfortunately, classical methods home brewing do not allow to completely isolate the beer from the air at the overflow stage - but it is not so difficult to ensure the tightness of the storage container.
• Ease of use. The packaging of consumption must meet the expectations of the consumer. We should be getting finished product without any further manipulation.
• Suitability for storage of carbonated drinks. Keep in mind that beer is a product with a high content of carbon dioxide, so the storage container must be able to withstand excessive pressure without leaking CO2 to the outside and without deforming.
• Aesthetics.
• Opportunity reuse or low price that makes real one time use containers. Thus, containers in which beer is stored should be relatively easy to process and disinfect before reuse - or cost so much that after use it would not be a pity to throw away the container (in this case, of course, questions about environmental friendliness arise, but this is a topic for a separate conversation ).

Undoubtedly, bottles, both glass and PET, remain the most popular and demanded container for storing home-brewed beer.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) - extremely popular in Food Industry bottle making material. It is believed that it is chemically inert and does not interact with the contents of the container, which provides food safety. In addition, it is quite durable, which allows you to store carbonated liquids without problems.

PET bottles have another subtle benefit that many homebrewers value. Recall that the vast majority of home brewers, when using glass or PET bottles, also use the classic method of fermentation in a bottle, bottle-condition - when the yeast remaining in the beer absorbs the newly added portion of sugars and produces carbon dioxide. PET bottles are quite flexible, and as carbonation builds up, the resulting overpressure inflates the bottle from the inside, and the bottle hardens. This is used by many homebrewers as an indicator of how carbonated the beer is.

The variety of available volumes of PET bottles - from 0.5 liters to 2 liters and more - also needs to be mentioned.

PET containers also have their obvious disadvantages. These are, first of all, low barrier properties: the bottle gradually lets carbon dioxide out, and oxygen and ultraviolet inside. While this may be suitable for beers that are planned to be consumed shortly after bottling and carbonation, it is not suitable for strong styles of beer that require aging (which is the “horse” of homebrewing).

The aesthetic side of the matter also leaves much to be desired: PET is primarily associated with “live unfiltered” from “bottling” and cheap lagers from mass producers.

Storing bottle-conditioned beer in glass bottles remains somewhat of an "industry standard" - if that's the term for home brewing.

A glass bottle is in many ways an ideal container. The following advantages can be distinguished:

• Widespread.
• Ease of reuse: Glass bottles are relatively easy to clean and disinfect, making them reusable. Can be reused as a container own beer, and from purchased branded varieties.
• aesthetic appeal. Properly pasted on a glass bottle, it often creates a complete illusion that you are holding a bottle in your hands not with homemade, but with industrial beer.
• Suitable for carbonated drinks, withstanding high pressure.
• A glass bottle with a crown cork or a cork stopper practically does not let carbon dioxide out and oxygen in. Problems can begin only after a few years, when the rubber seal on the cork cracks. Bottles of "champagne" type with corks do not have this problem at all. Thus, glass bottles are generally much better suited for long-aged beers than PET.

Glass bottles also have disadvantages. First, it's pretty big weight: the bottle weighs almost as much as the beer in it. Secondly, glass transmits ultraviolet light, which can be detrimental to beer. Thirdly, overcarbonization still easily breaks a glass bottle (or, more often, breaks the cork).

There are several types of glass bottles. The most widely used bottles have crown caps. The cork is installed on the neck using a special machine. Bottles with yoke stoppers are more convenient to use, but they are much less common, take up more space and are much more expensive. Bottles with cork stopper are not very common among homebrewers (cappers are quite expensive).

Beer with fermentation in the bottle has one drawback, which is critical for many styles of beer - the presence of yeast cells that cloud the drink and change its flavor profile. In addition, in the case of a “correct” filling, a significant amount of beer remains at the bottom of the bottle. Therefore, homebrewers often think about how to reduce the amount of yeast or remove it completely. There are several problems here. One of them is related to the fact that with additional gassing (which is often necessary to achieve an acceptable level of CO2 in home-brewed beer), it will no longer be possible to pour the drink using the "classic" method - you have to resort to foamless bottling devices. The second problem is more critical - if fermentation is not activated in the bottle, the overwhelming development of the extraneous microbiota that inevitably got into the beer, the shelf life of such beer will not be significant.

Kegs

Therefore, the main way to drink your own clear beer at home is to ferment it and store it in kegs or kegs.

In this case, the yeast sediment falls to the bottom of the container and practically does not fall into the glass (merging with the first portions). In addition, many brewers on this path use gelatin, fish glue, or other fining to clarify their beer. This technology came to modern home brewing from winemakers and British tradition casque beer.

In this case, the carbonation of beer is often carried out classical method- making additional sugars and possibly a fresh batch of yeast. In a sealed container, fermentation is activated, which saturates the beer with CO2 - as is the case with bottle-coditioned beer.

A fairly convenient option for a quick beer consumption are small five-liter kegs. They hold the pressure of normally carbonated beer, take up little space and allow beer to be stored relatively in small portions(so that storing an open keg won't take long).

More "industrial" solutions - various kegs - already refer to the bar culture of beer consumption. On sale now you can find a wide range of beer kegs: from with a removable lid, to.

Storing homemade beer in kegs or similar containers requires the construction of an entire bottling system. It usually includes (which is especially critical), hoses,

The advantages of such systems are, first of all, in the possibility of obtaining home-made beer practically without yeast: in the case of the use of binding agents (or even without them, if the yeast settles well), the transparency of the beer has an almost "industrial" character. This has a beneficial effect on the flavor profile of many styles of beer - pilsners, golden ales, pale ales, etc. In addition, iron containers do not transmit ultraviolet (and are stored in a dark refrigerator).

The disadvantage of keg systems is also quite obvious: an open beer keg cannot be stored for a long time. In addition, the possibilities and areas home brewer are usually very limited, so you usually have to keep one or two kegs plugged in - and consume beer from them until it runs out or disappears. This, of course, deals some blow to one of the main tenets of homebrewing - variety. The cost of a keg filling system will also be significant compared to bottling.

One of the most popular drinks in the world today, of course, apart from coffee and is beer. It has a very specific taste, which is obtained by fermenting malt and adding various flavors to it. natural products.

Today there are many varieties of this drink. They differ from each other not only in taste, but also in production technology, strength and fermentation method. However, due to the fact that this drink It is a food product, it has its own expiration date. It is from this indicator that both the taste and the safety of its use will depend.

In contact with

Types of drink

First of all, the expiration date of such alcoholic drink will depend on the method of pasteurization used to obtain it.

There are several of them in total:

1. El. This type is a top fermentation method. It is carried out at a temperature mark of at least 15 degrees, but not more than 25 degrees. These drinks are characterized by light fruity taste, as well high content alcohol in them.
2. Lager. This type is today the most popular method of obtaining beer. bottom fermentation. It is made at a temperature not lower than 5 degrees, but not higher than 15. After that, it is kept at a temperature of 0 degrees for a certain time (from 20 days, sometimes up to 4 months). During this time, it will be saturated with carbon dioxide, and then it is already bottled and sent to sell.

There are also non-traditional beers, which include wheat beer, which uses as the main ingredient wheat malt. Already bottled, it continues its maturation. Most often it is white or slightly cloudy in color. There is also "lambic" beer, which has its own peculiarity of spontaneous fermentation, as well as the absence of brewer's yeast in it, as such.

There is also the most natural variety beer, called live. His main hallmark is the absence of any kind of preservatives. Carbon dioxide it is added already at the time of the spill itself, which makes it possible for him to preserve the unusual and original taste. At the same time, it is sold in bars or in pubs exclusively on tap, since this beer has a very short shelf life.

Good to know: beer can be sold in various options containers. So, for this, glass or plastic bottles are used, as well as cans and kegs. The shelf life largely depends on the container used.

Storage conditions

In order for beer to retain its taste qualities throughout the entire shelf life, and also not to lose freshness, it must be stored properly. There are a few highlights here:

1. bottle position. A large number of well-known brewers advises to store beer containers in an upright position. This is necessary so that the yeast in the drink settles to the bottom, and not to the surface. In addition, it is believed that constant contact of the beer with the cap can negatively affect its taste.
2. Storage. It is very important that the beer is stored in a place where direct Sun rays.
3. Storage container. Best for long-term storage of this alcoholic beverage, use glass containers. Even being in the sun, the beer will be sufficiently protected from it. negative impact. At the same time, lager or ale that was bottled in plastic containers not recommended for long term storage. The reason is that the material used for the manufacture of such bottles allows oxygen to pass through, and this turn negatively affects the quality of the drink itself and its taste.
4. Storage temperature. The temperature at which it needs to be stored also depends on the type of beer.

It is important to know: Under no circumstances should beer be stored at sub-zero temperatures. The reason is that in this way it loses all its taste.

Each type of beer has its own expiration date. Therefore, it is important to take into account the information that the manufacturer indicates on the packaging. The shelf life of beer brewed at home also depends on the strength. On average, such options can be stored for no more than six months. It is best to keep homemade craft beers in a dry cellar, bottled in glass containers.

How to store open and live beer

A separate category of beer is live unfiltered, which is sold on tap. Most often it is found in various bars or cafes. They bring it from breweries in metal kegs.

However, not everyone knows how long such beer can be stored, as well as what conditions for its maintenance must be observed.

If we talk about a drink that is still stored in closed kegs, where it does not have contact with oxygen, then it can be stored for several months. After opening the container, the beer must be sold within only five days.

That is why, having decided to buy "live" beer, it is recommended to clarify when the container with it was opened. If it is poured into a mug, it is advisable to use it within one hour. If it is poured into a plastic bottle, then even if stored in the refrigerator, it will not retain its properties for more than 4 days.

The main condition for storing such a drink should be the absence of sunlight, as well as the proper temperature. The refrigerator is the best for this. However, in an open can, beer begins to interact with air, so you need to close it as tightly as possible.

See interesting video, which describes the nuances of the production and storage of beer: