What makes beer turn bad?
Beer is a fragile and perishable product. Light and heat are the bane of beer. As such, utmost care must be taken in the storage and delivery of it. Beer sitting out at room temperature, even for a few months, may start to degrade and become stale. Cold storage helps slows oxidation in beer. Even the tightest bottling system will allow minute amounts of air into the bottle, which, over the months, will start to destroy the beer and give it a wet paper/cardboard flavor. Beer should be kept out of direct light, which allows damaging UV rays in. Both excessive direct sunlight and heat can give the beer a “skunky” stale flavor, which is a by-product of the delicate hop oils spoiling. That is one reason why many breweries choose to use dark brown bottles for their beers. Beers like barley-wine, imperial russian stout or Double Indian Pale Ales do not go bad with time because they have high alcohol/hop levels. In fact, they are likely to age well given the right cellaring conditions.
storage helps slows oxidation in beer. Even the tightest bottling system will allow minute storage helps slows oxidation in beer. Even the tightest bottling system will allow minute amounts of air into the bottle, which, over the months, will start to destroy the beer and give it a wet paper/cardboard flavor. give it a wet paper/cardboard flavor. Beer should be kept out of direct light, which allows damaging UV rays in. Both excessive direct sunlight and heat can give the beer a “skunky” stale flavor, which is a by-product of the delicate hop oils spoiling. That is one reason why many breweries choose to use dark brown bottles for their beers. Beers like barley-wine, imperial russian stout or Double Indian Pale Ales do not go bad with time because they have high alcohol/hop levels. In fact, they are likely to age well given the right cellaring conditions.
Storage helps slows oxidation in beer. Even the tightest bottling system will allow air into the bottle, which, over the months, will start to destroy the beer and give it a wet paper/cardboard flavor. Beer should be kept out of direct light, which allows damaging UV rays in. Both excessive direct sunlight and heat can give the beer a “skunky” stale flavor, which is a by-product of the delicate hop oils spoiling. That is one reason why many breweries choose to use dark brown bottles for their beers. Beers like barley-wine, imperial russian stout or Double Indian Pale Ales do not go bad with time because they have high alcohol/hop levels. In fact, they are likely to age well given the right cellaring conditions.
