Aging Beer in your Wine Cellar

In 2006 at the Worthington White Shield Brewery in England, a worker uncovered a long forgotten case of Bass Ratcliff Ale that had been brewed in 1869. Curiosity prompted the brewery workers to try one of the bottles and, much to their surprise, the beer was outstanding.

Casual beer enthusiasts are often shocked when they learn that beer can be aged in the same manner as fine wines. The surprise is understandable – the majority of beer sold is meant to be consumed fresh. This is why many bottles have a “best by” date.  There are, however, quite a few beers that are meant to be aged, some of them displaying a “best after” date.  In just a year or two, many beers can turn into something much tastier. Some beers can be comfortably aged five to 10 years, and others much longer.

Choosing a Beer to Cellar

Generally, any robust beer with an alcohol by volume content greater than 8 percent is a candidate for cellaring. The most common beer styles to age are barley wines and imperial stouts. A few other popular styles that age well include Belgian strong ales, Belgian abbey and Trappist ales, olde Ales, Geuze, and Lambic. Geuze and Lambics are lighter in alcohol and are some of the few exceptions to the 8 percent rule.

Most beers that drink “hot” (harsh, burning alcohol sensation) can benefit from aging. The aging process will smooth out that “hot” sensation as malty and sweet flavors are brought forward to help mask the alcohol. Beers like Avery Mephistopheles and Dogfish Head 120 Minute have alcohol contents over 16 percent and are almost undrinkable fresh, but a few years of aging turn them into something delightful.

Not just any big beer ages gracefully. Make sure you are choosing a beer from a quality brewer that has put consideration into creating a beer that will be aged. Certain brewing techniques, such as minimizing dissolved oxygen in the beer and avoiding oxygen trapped in the headspace, make a beer better to age. Look for breweries that have been brewing for a long time and are typically bought by collectors. You can use the list at the end of this article as a starting point.

Setting Up your Beer Cellar

Any cool, dark place in your home where temperature remains mostly constant is an ideal place to set up your beer cellar. This could be as simple as a cardboard box in the back of your closet. Traditional European cellar temperatures are typically between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, but recent studies have shown that cellar temperatures up to 77 degrees are still suitable for short term aging (five years or less). That is great news for those of us that aren’t fortunate enough to have a basement cave system under our house.

If you cannot find a place in your home that meets these conditions, or you wish to age your beer longer than five years, it is recommended to purchase a wine cooler that will keep the beer at proper cellar temperature. Aging beer in your food refrigerator is not recommended because temperatures under 50 degrees will dramatically slow down the aging process.

A fun aging technique to try is buy five to six bottles of the same beer and open up one with each passing year to see how it develops with time. Another popular method is to buy a dated bottle each year for several years and then have a few friends over to try them all at once and note the difference between vintages. With just a little bit of patience, you can turn your collection of beers into masterpieces.