Method of Preserving Beer Brewed At Home

If there on thing unique about beer, it would be the way it is produced.

Beer is produced with the help of microbes like yeast, which help to ferment the ingredients and produce the finished product.

Of course, there are other things involved as well, such as refining the finished product of any organic residues that may be left behind during the production process.

But the preparation of beer is just one part of the process.

There is another one that is entirely different; preserving the finished product.

Just about anything that is edible, is perishable. In other words, anything that you can consume will get spoiled over an extended period of time, if they are not stored in the right manner.

This holds true for beer, as much as it would hold for food and drinks. And this is where the challenge lies, particularly when it comes to the preserving of beer brewed at home.

There are a host of different strategies that can be used for the preparation of beer.

You can use any one of them to preserve your home made brew for an extended period of time.

Some of the most important methods of preserving beer at home are given in the list below:

Refrigeration

This is by far one of the best ways to keep just about anything safe.

Refrigeration leads to a reduction in the temperature of food articles, which in turn affects microbial activity.

And there is a reason for this. Due to the fact that cold temperatures inhibit microbial activity, the overall quality of the beer can be extended over a very long time.

It is for this reason why people use refrigerators. Do note here that while the process does preserve beer and any other food articles effectively over a long period of time, it doesn’t really ‘stop’ microbial activity entirely; on the contrary, the activity is still going on, but at a drastically slower rate.

Don’t Remove the Beer from Its Container

This is particularly useful for the beer that has been packed for later use.

There are a few packaging techniques that allow for the beer to be sterilized upon being filled into its container. A good example is when the container is heated after being filled up and sealed. The process allows for the germs inside the container to be killed, preventing any further activity until it is opened.

As long as you don’t open or damage the seal of the container until use, you should be able to keep the beer fine for a lengthy periods of time.

Keep Away From Sunlight

There is a reason why they say food and medication is to be kept ‘away from sunlight’.

The reason is easy to understand. Sunlight is a source of heat, which encourages microbial growth and thereby ends up affecting the final quality. And the term exposure here applies to both direct as well as indirect, as both of them can affect the final quality of the beer.

By preventing exposure to sunlight, one will be able to preserve the quality of beer for a very long time.

Store in a Cool Dark and Dry Place

Remember how beer is shown to be stored in the movies and breweries?

They are always stored in a place that is dark and cool. The reason for this is due to what was explained in the previous point. A cool, dry and dark place is an ideal location to store the beer for an extended period of time.

As long as the container has been sterilized after sealing, you should be able to make it last for an extended period of time.

Not All Beers Are the Same

You don’t have to go to the extreme for preserving beer.

In some cases, the more they age, the better they will taste. This is particularly true for varieties of barley wine and dopplebocks, which can age for a very long time without losing out on quality; on the contrary, the quality will only become better as time passes by.

Therefore, you can actually allow the beer to steadily ferment away over a long period of time, if you happen to be using the right ingredients. You might just end up with something that is ‘expensive’ and ‘vintage’, as the enthusiasts call, should you forget about it for a couple of years.

So also take into consideration the exact kind of beer that you are storing, for not all of them require extensive storage measures. You can just take some basic amount of precautions and do just fine.

Managing the Bottle Tilt

Would you believe if you were told that the ‘tilt’ angle of the beer bottle would affect the quality of the beer inside it? Because that is the truth.

The angle of the beer tilt can affect the life of the beer, because of how things play out inside the bottle.

If you store the beer bottles horizontally, there will be the creation of a yeast ring that doesn’t settle. This can lead to the rapid deterioration of the final beer quality.

An alternative way to store the bottles is to store the bottles upright, as it allows for all of the yeast present in it to settle to the bottom.

Consume As Fast As You Can

This has nothing to do with the actual preservation, at least directly.

Quite often, there is really no need for one to actually store the beer. Many times, home brews are made for parties and other celebrations, meaning that they will be consumed overnight.

But as it would be in the case of any other food or drink, there is a likelihood that you will end up with some leftovers afterwards. Try to consume this as fast as you can, and you will not have to deal with the issue of preservation whatsoever.

As a whole, these are some of the best ways to keep beer, as well as other alcohols well preserved at home.

Feel free to use any one of them as per your convenience, and you’ll be able to enjoy beers for a very long time.