How Long Does Beer Last (And Why)?

How Long Does Beer Last (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 9 Months

The beer’s name comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “BEER,” which means “barley”. Hops were first added to beer around the middle of the 16th century. Beer refers to a variety of beverages such as ale, lager, and stout. 

A fermented, alcoholic beverage prepared from grains and flavored with hops is known as beer. The greatest way to enjoy beer is to drink it right away. Most beer-producing countries do not produce high-quality wine, and vice versa. 

It’s best to consume the majority of beer within 3 to 6 months. If you cook it any longer, off-flavors may emerge.

How Long Does Beer Last 1

How Long Does The Beer Last?

The majority of beers are best drank on the day they leave the brewery. Brewers know what they’re doing, and they offer beer that tastes exactly as they want it to. Fresh beer is flavorful, vibrant, and delectable. 

However, like with most things in life, there are exceptions. We don’t always have to worry about storing beer and if it will keep for long enough. However, knowing how long foods and beverages last before going bad is always useful. 

The bottle or can of beer has an expiration date printed on it. However, a great deal is dependent on the storage conditions.

If you don’t keep beer correctly, it can be excellent well past its “Best By” date, yet it can also be terrible well before that date. Beer does not always deteriorate and becomes unfit for drinking after the expiration date printed on the bottle. 

It just loses its greatest attributes and loses its luster. The beer that has not been pasteurized is the one that spoils the fastest. It’s advisable not to drink unpasteurized beer after the ‘Best By’ date has passed. To summarize, beer has a finite shelf life and can spoil. Beer may be stored for up to two years if properly stored.

Type Of Beer Time 
Bottled Beer lasts for6-7 Months
Canned Beer lasts for8-9 Months
Homemade Beer lasts for6-9 Months

Sour and wild beers develop interesting new tastes as they mature. Imperial stouts and barley wines, for example, keep their flavor for longer than lighter beers. Consistently low temperatures in a dark environment are essential for beer to mature. When it comes to aging wine, there are several complexities and variables to consider.

Because the shape of a can leaves very little space between the lid and the beer, the amount of oxygen within is reduced. The cans provide great light protection in addition to their appearance. Beer cans, like bottles, should be drunk within 6 months if cold and 3 months if heated.

If kept in a cold, dark area like a refrigerator, bottled beer can last up to 6 months. Warm-stored bottled beer can degrade in as little as three months. To avoid the creation of skunk odors, beer bottles should be kept out of direct sunlight.

Beer in kegs should be kept chilled at all times. When you come into a bar that keeps its kegs warm, don’t be shocked if you come across a bland beer or two. After 45 to 60 days, unpasteurized barrels begin to taste rotten. 

Pasteurized kegs have a three- to four-month shelf life. The beer will only keep for 12 to 24 hours after extraction if you buy a commercial keg and serve it with a party pump. This is because air is pumped into the beer to remove it, resulting in quick aging and beer with little impact.

Why Does Beer Last So Long?

The expiration date of draught beer is determined by a variety of factors. Beer doesn’t truly expire or become harmful to drink as it gets older. This is due to a combination of alcohol, the low pH of the beer, and hops’ antibacterial action.

At the moment, all beer bottles have printed expiration dates on them. As a result, the quality of the beer will deteriorate with time, resulting in negative impacts on the flavor and alcohol level of the beer.

Expiration dates are used to ensure that an old beer does not pose any health problems. If the beer is properly stored and the package is undamaged, it can be consumed. Once the expiration date has passed, the contents will be flat, tasteless, and unappealing to drink.

Some beers, such as Heineken, are packaged in colored bottles and, as a result, become skunky, which many people appreciate. As a result, skunky beer isn’t always symptomatic of a terrible brew, which might be perplexing.

Early exposure to oxygen is known as oxidation, and it produces a stale, cardboard-like flavor. This explains why Natty Light at frat parties tastes considerably blander than normal. A keg that has been left tapped for too long may oxidize your beer.

Even though there are a lot of strange beer flavors out there, you should be able to tell if the flavor you’re getting isn’t intended. Cooked cabbage, sewage, sulfur, or an unacidic taste are all frequent flavors that suggest a poor beer.

Conclusion

Foodborne disease can be avoided by following adequate cleanliness and food safety procedures.

If your beer has gone bad, you can tell when you open the bottle. After opening the bottle, there should be some white foam rising from the liquid. If there isn’t any, your beer is most certainly spoiled. The “pssst” sound is a sign that your drink is fresh and ready to drink.

Inspect bottles for signs of heat abuse, such as a dusty bottle or discolored label, and especially any seepage around the top. A change in the color of the beer or a “dusty” settling seen in the bottom of the bottle are two probable signs of an outdated beer product.

References

  1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24140916
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Hi! I'm Nidhi.

Here at the EHL, it's all about delicious, easy recipes for casual entertaining. So come and join me at the beach, relax and enjoy the food.

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