When I walk past a shop where they sell craft beers, I often can't resist: I have to take something with me. This will be recognizable for many beer lovers. Once they arrive home, they don't always go straight into the fridge, but find their place next to the other beers I plan to drink. But how do you store beer the best way and what should you pay attention to? In this article we give five tips for the best storage of your beer.
Let's start by saying that there is a difference in beer type when it comes to storage. An IPA is best when it is fresh, where you can keep a dark beer longer and that often benefits the taste. Non-alcoholic beer has a shorter shelf life than beer with alcohol, so it's even more important that you store it properly. Besides the fact that the taste can change, cans can also expand and in some cases even start leaking at too high a temperature. That's a shame, but it's also messy.
1. Keep the beer at the constant temperature If you don't want to put your beer in the fridge right away, choose a place where there is a constant temperature of about 10-15 degrees. A kitchen cupboard seems obvious, but this is not the best place. Because appliances in the kitchen can get hot and because cooking is natural, the temperature changes here too often. Opt for a pantry or even more original: the crawl space of your house. Some people also keep their beer outside. This is not recommended because the weather is not really the most stable right now and the cap can rust. 2. Do not expose the beer too much to sunlight This goes without saying: always keep beer in a dark place. UV radiation will start a chemical process that ensures that your beer no longer smells (and tastes) so good.
3. Make sure it's not too humid
If you store beer in a humid place, you will first see this on the label. Secondly, it can also affect your cap or can, causing mold and the beer to be no longer airtight. This way the beer can get infected and you obviously don't want that.
4. You put bottles with a crown cap upright
To prevent the beer from coming into contact with the metal of the crown cap, it is best to store beer in bottles upright. Any sediment then also sinks to the bottom, where it belongs. This makes less difference for cans, but if possible put them upright.
5. Don't forget your beer!
Last but not least: don't forget to drink your beer. An extensive collection is nice, but don't forget that beer is a natural product and that the taste changes. We recommend that you always keep a few tasty beers in the fridge so that there is always something cold and you can enjoy it right away.
