How to keep your beer fresh
Ever opened a bottle of beer and then tasted it not long after and the taste has changed and was not as fresh? Or have you ever kept beer for a few months on the shelf without opening it and then realized when you drunk it the taste was different? Well beer unlike wine or other such drinks does not age well with time, it is best to consume beer while it is fresh or else it starts tasting really bitter and unpleasant. Opened beer should be consumed within a short amount of time as well otherwise its taste gets ruined.
A group of scientists have recently identified 57 substances inside beer that contribute to its bitter taste, mostly prenylated polyketides and around 5 of these substances are largely responsible for the unpleasant and harsh taste of beer when it stays on the shelf for too long. Although the shelf life of most beer is around 6 to 12 months, after which it is ruined and too unpleasant and bitter to taste, there are a few ways to ensure that it retains its taste for a little while longer.
It is common knowledge that beer should be kept in a cool place. Studies show that the taste of beer gets ruined twice as fast with a 10 degree increase in temperature. So make sure that you keep beer in a cool place when you are storing it and also whilst drinking.
Light is another factor that causes beer to lose its taste quicker. Make sure that the beer that you store is not in direct contact with sunlight or you can say goodbye to your beer sooner than you would expect.
When buying beer make sure that you buy beer that was not sitting out in the open or beer that has collected dust. Choose beer that is being kept in a cool storing space and not in some warm place where it probably has been kept for a very long time causing the taste to get ruined. Either the beer is already going to be stale or when you take it back home you would not be able to store it for as long as you can usually store beer.
As far as opened bottles of beer are concerned, as mentioned before, they are probably going to get ruined pretty soon so if you cannot drink up the beer soon enough, you can use canned argon which is usually used for preserving wine. Argon is heavier than oxygen and it sinks down to the surface of the liquid, creating a barrier for oxygen and the liquid.
If this is impractical for you then you should look into getting these awesome little bottle tops for beer bottle called Beer Savers. You can buy these inexpensive bottle caps to keep your beer fresher for a longer period of time once you have opened the bottle. These Beer Savers come in a set of 6 for obvious reasons and are made from food-safe silicon. You can get them in various attractive colors as well so your unfinished beer bottles will look better than how they looked unopened and you will also be able to tell which one of the bottles is yours.
So using these ways you can enjoy your beer for a longer period of time, however remember that beer does not age like wine does and once opened, you have a limited amount of time to drink it before it turns foul. However, the Beer Savers are an easy and attractive way to keep your beer fresh and tasting good for longer.
Written By: Jarrod Brake
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