# Cellaring your beer stash



## timstalltaletav

What does everyone have tucked away in their beer fridge crisper drawer for a rainy day?

I just picked up a 2018 Founders Curmudgeon's Better Half that my local bottle shop has a barrel of that they aged since August of last year.

My only comments are...  Wow!  This is incredibly smooth.  Still has a good alcohol snap to it but it's really good!  At all but 13% abv I'm ashamed to admit I only had one glass before I needed to switch to something a bit more lite... Hahah








I have a bottles of Canadian Breakfast Stout dating back to 2015 through last year in my stash.  I can't wait to tear into them when the weather cools down a bit.

Enjoy your drinks whatever they are this weekend!


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## Jtexans4

Good choices on your end! I have a bunch of Goose Island Bourbon Counties from various years tucked away, along with half a dozen Three Floyds Dark Lords from various years. Like you, when the weather cools down a bit I'll be drinking most of these!


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## BuckeyeSteve

I can't tell what style that is, but it looks like a DIPA.  It should cellar well but you will loose some of the floral taste of the hops but still very drinkable.
I cellar'd some Old Rasputin for five years.  It was very tasty.  Mellowed out nicely.


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## clifish

Founders  - all day IPA, flying dog  - blood orange, raging pig - save the robots.


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## S-met

Too complicated to look into. Bordeauxs dating back to the early 80s. Some Belgians strong ales going back 5-6years. I know there is 3 jeroboam's of Chimmay Blue from 2011. Some vintage Champagnes from 1999. Other wine's going back to 1997.


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## mooncusser

I put a few things down in the cellar. DFH 120 min, Founders KBS, Old Rasputin and a whole bunch I don't remember. Really ought to start pulling them out when the weather cools.


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## fivetricks

Better half was a killer beer last year..I don't often find myself a fan of Founders, but that one was very good..

Just returning from the annual weekend. Whew..

2 nights and one day. 6 cases of craft, 6 cases of domestic, 2 cases of bombers and 6 hours of sleep.

Both the smokers getting happy







One half of the pit smoker/chickens






Sorry, no cooked pics. My hands were too busy and nasty to work my phone


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## flagriller

Goose Island IPA


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## fivetricks

Whew. I havnt bought goose island in 10+ years. I still see them hanging strong though!


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## sandyut

hmmm  we have some wines that have been racked for a few years - the beers go fast...cant seem to store them longer than a few days...


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## zwiller

S-met said:


> Too complicated to look into. Bordeauxs dating back to the early 80s. Some Belgians strong ales going back 5-6years. I know there is 3 jeroboam's of Chimmay Blue from 2011. Some vintage Champagnes from 1999. Other wine's going back to 1997.



I wanna party with you dude.  

Had a stash of my own strong homebrews for a long time but no longer.  Belgians age extremely well maybe even the best, as do barley wines, and other big beers but not a fan of aging hoppy stuff at all.  Actually I feel anything but draft IPA is weak.  Love the fresh hop signature.  You get spoiled as a homebrewer...  Have not made it in years (no time to brew) but favorite beer this time of year was my saison which is my avatar.  I converted ALOT of people to belgian beer with it...


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## S-met

zwiller said:


> I wanna party with you dude.


Apparantly I'm a good time. Below is a 2005 napa cab flight. I think there were 14 bottles popped that night, not including champagne @ breakfast, beer throughout the day and white wine before dinner.
Ftr, this was a week trip at a beach house for a close friends 60th birthday. I offered 4 cases of wine including the 2k5 flight. Unfortunately, This is not a regular occurrence.


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## Central PA Cowboy

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot


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## bdawg

IIPA is usually not good at cellaring.  A couple reasons contribute to why:

1)  ISO-Alpha acids (the chemicals that provide the bitterness in beer) drop out over time.  The beta acids from hops emerge, and while still bitter, they are not as good, usually harsh.
2) It has been learned in the last few years that hops themselves contain amylase enzymes.  That is the same enzyme that's in the malt that the brewers use during mashing to convert the starches into sugars.  The difference is that the enzymes in the malt will denature in the boil (like how an egg white turns during cooking and won't ever go back), but the amylase in the hops does not denature in the boil.
Dry hopping (pretty much mandatory for an IIPA) adds even more of this amylase enzyme to the beer.  Over time, the amylase will work on whatever short chain dextrins remain in the beer.  These are converted to sugar, just like in the mash. 
If there is yeast still present, that yeast will consume these sugars as they are produced.  This dries out the beer, adds more CO2 and more alcohol, at the expense of thinning out the mouthfeel and producing a very, very dry beer.

 If there is no yeast left in the beer, the new sugars will overwhelm the bitterness that is in there, and the beer will become sweet and unbalanced.

Any oxygen that got in during bottling will also add papery/sherry flavors over time.  The oxidation adds complexity and is welcome in Barleywines and Stouts, but is distracting in lighter (less roasty) beers like IIPA. 

My favorites to cellar are Barrel aged Stouts, (really, Stouts in general), Porters, Barley wines, Doppel Bocks, Scottish Ales, Belgians (all types) and some Sours.


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## fivetricks

Excellent write-up! Yes, the only ipa's I ever aged were by accident. I've been aging a lot more sours lately. Some tolerate it better than others. Generally the more expensive bomber size sours age better than say, your six pack variety sours. I've got some that are 5-6 years old now.

Problem I always have is, when is the right time to open them. I mean Im sure it's great after 5 years, but what about 10? :-) I'm horrible with that stuff


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## ZaqonDauna

Lol, guys, how can you manage to keep BEER for a rainy day? I love beer so much that I can’t stay in one house with a beer and not drink it for long. I once bought 12 bottles, considering it was ‘on a bulk.’ I was so mistaken. I have drunk them all in two days


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## bdawg

LOL when it’s 14% Bourbon Barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout, you aren’t pounding them down like a coots light!


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## bigfurmn

Goose Island Bourbon County dating back to 2016. I have various different types, they barrel in different companies barrels every year. They special ones are only available in the Chicagoland area. Luckily for my brother lives by the brewery and is there often. I get a lot of their special blends. They are incredible.
I also collect Surly Darkness regular and barrel aged for a few years. Only thing is, none of these beers are under 14%.


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## SmokinGame

I am struggling a little, guys. Beers usually don't stay in my "cellar" for more than a couple months and the "rarer" the quicker I open it.

Maybe I have a problem?!?!


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## ZaqonDauna

ZaqonDauna said:


> Lol, guys, how can you manage to keep BEER for a rainy day? I love beer so much that I can’t stay in one house with a beer and not drink it for long. I once bought 12 bottles, considering it was ‘on a bulk.’ I was so mistaken. I have drunk them all in two days


How wrong I was. I drank them all in two days. I couldn't help myself! I came home from work every day, and every day I wanted to buy a bottle or two. I don't worry about my health because I drink non-alcoholic (just for the taste), but I spend a lot of money on it. So I decided to learn how to brew it at home I found useful information at learningtohomebrew.com. What do you guys think? Is it a good idea? Will it help me save money?


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## bdawg

> but I spend a lot of money on it. So I decided to learn how to brew it at home I found useful information at learningtohomebrew.com. What do you guys think? Is it a good idea? Will it help me save money?


Learning to homebrew is fun but there are a lot of equipment costs that really can add up.
It all depends on how far you want to go with it.  It's a rabbit hole, in terms of needing equipment for the boil, then if you go all grain you need equipment to mash, and you will need more equipment to ferment, and more equipment to bottle, until you get sick of filling a zillion bottles and start to keg, which means you need a fridge and taps, (and then the next thing comes and more and more and more and more).


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## TH-n-PA

No cellar but I do have a beer closet I keep rotating.....


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