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Looking After Your Beer Purchases
So your going to buy some beer, grab a few bottles out of the liquor store fridge and then into your hot car. Three hours later you finally get them into your fridge. When you come to drinking your expensive Belgium beer it just does not taste right. So what have you done wrong?
Here are a few very simple rules to try and stick to;
Temperature
- Beer does not like large changes in temperature.
- If you buy your beers cold get them back into your fridge as soon as you can.
- If you have a long trip or are not going to put them straight into the fridge ask to buy them warm.
- Beer can go off, if left in a hot car for a few hours.
- Store your beer in a cool position.
Light
- Beer does not like bright light.
- It’s better to have brown bottles to keep the light out of the beer.
- Many breweries put their beer in clear glass this is probably not the best way to bottle and is generally a commercial decision.
- Still many good beers come in clear or green glass.
- Store your beer in a cool dark area away from light.
Long term storage
- Store your beers in a cool dark place.
- Some beers can be kept for many years.
- They should be stored in the same way as you cellar wine.
- A cool dark cellar type location is best.
Date Code
- By Australian law all beer should have a date code.
- Make it a habit to check the date.
- Most local beer should be drunk within 3 months (No more than nine)
- Quality beers like Weihenstephan have a shelf life of 12 months and some beers like Chimay are made to put away for years.
- A beer that is out of code is not bad; it is just not as fresh as one would desire.
- I have had many out of code beers, which were still fine.
- If you buy out of code beer make sure they sell it to you cheap.
Look at It
- Before you drink the beer have a look at it. Look for floating blobs or discolouration.
- Don’t get confused with the sediment, which is part of some beers.
- Also look to see if it is flat. Some beers are made quite flat but that is rare.
Smell It
- Smell the beer for an off smell; you will know it when you get a bad one.
Taste It
- Taste the beer. If you are familiar with the beer you know what it should taste like.
- If not look for a bad taste, flat taste, over powering taste or lack of taste, again you will know it when you taste it.
Take It Back
- If you feel your beer is bad ring the store you purchased it from.
- Most good stores will want to try it first but they should replace it as long as you have treated your beer well.
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| Featured Beer |
| Timothy Taylor Landlord
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Landlord is the classic pale ale, brewed in the traditional way from the famous Knowle Spring water, using only the finest malt and leaf hops.
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