| Vintage Beers By Bob Salzgass Collecting beers for laying down can be a fun and rewarding hobby. What's that? You say you thought all beer was best drunk fresh? As a rule, it's true that beer is best enjoyed before the ravages of light, heat and time denigrate its flavors and character, but some beers can actually improve over time becoming more balanced and complex. However, in an era when bottled beers with "born-on" and "best-by" dates compete with fresh brew pub beer, you'd better know your beer before deciding to lay it down for five or more years. The mass produced beers of today are heat pasteurized and filtered, which extends their shelf-life, but makes them unsuitable for laying down. While pasteurization and filtering stabilize beer and destroy bacteria potentially harmful to its flavor, these processes also prevent beer from improving over time. Beers that are appropriate for laying down have not been through these stabilizing processes and, thus, exhibit a change in character over time due to chemical and physical changes such as oxidation, yeast and fermentation, bacterial effects, cellaring temperature and exposure to light . While aging beers is always a hit or miss, the more you know and understand about the process, the more success you will have when cellaring your prize beers. Oxidation In delicate beers such as light lagers, milds or Pilsners the affects of oxidation can dominate the flavor and aroma, but in hearty beers like strong Scotch ales and Trappist ales the vinous character can enhance the beers by adding flavor and complexity. Beer enthusiasts have long debated what role bottle size plays in the maturation of beers. For example, how does the flavor of a vintage Belgian Scaldis Noel aged in a 25 centiliter bottle compare to the same beer aged in a 1.5 liter magnum bottle? Beer in larger bottles has less exposure to air in the head space relative to the total volume of beer in the bottle, so the larger bottle reduces the risk of over oxidation. Nevertheless, do not reject a beer well suited for aging just because it is in a small bottle. Yeast and Fermentation When a beer is bottle-conditioned, meaning it is bottled with live yeast suspended in the beer, the beer continues to ferment in the bottle, all the while changing in character. As the yeast feeds on the residual sugars in the beer, the beer loses some of its body and becomes dryer. Even after the yeast runs out of sugar to feed on it contributes to beer's body, aroma and flavor profile. While a bottle-conditioned beer is a good candidate to lay down, it is not imperative. There are many beers and beer styles that improve with time despite a lack of live yeast munching away on sugar in the bottle. Bacterial Effects As a rule, bacterial "infection" is not a desirable characteristic in beers that are best drunk fresh. Indeed, bacterial contamination can dominate a beer rendering it unpleasantly sour and virtually undrinkable. (note: no matter what the taste, beer bacterial is safe for your health.) The sourness is usually derived from wild strains of yeast or bacteria that hop aboard the beer as it's being brewed or fermented. It should be noted however that some styles of Belgian beers are highly prized for their distinct sour or lactic character. In particular, Belgian Lambic ales employ spontaneous fermentation induced by wild yeast, which is allowed, indeed invited, into the breweries' open fermentation vessels. Cellaring Temperature The temperature in which beer is stored plays an important role in its character. Cold temperatures abate changes to beer during aging, therefore to reduce the affects of time on most beers, keep it cold. But if your intent is to transmogrify your beer with age, it is important to allow it to mature at cellar temperatures ranging from 50-65F with little fluctuation. At these temperatures, the yeast, particularly in bottle-conditioned beer, is warm enough that it can remain active. If conditions become too cold, the yeast may slow down or become altogether dormant and if too hot the yeast may die. Likewise, it is important to store your beer in the dark. Light can interact with the hops in beer causing your beer to become light struck or skunky. Other Rules of Aging High alcohol beers like barleywines, old ales and strong Scotch ales are not as susceptible to the negative affects of bacteria. It is more difficult to detect off flavors imparted by bacteria in a robust, strong beer than it is in a delicate beer that readily reveals the minutest of flaws. Additionally, both hops and smoke have a preservative affect on beer. Hops as well as fruit, herbs and spices lose their pungency in beer as it matures. So, if you're aging a highly hopped Rogue Mogul Ale you may be pleased to discover that after three years the dominant hop bitterness has mellowed substantially and your beer is more balanced and round. Corked beers should be stored on their side while crowned beers are best stored upright. As a rule, corked beers run a smaller risk than crowned beers of leaking at the seal. But corks can and often do impart a slight musty, aroma and flavor to beers stored on their side. Imagine the delights and rewards a vertical tasting of several vintages of the same brand can offer. Yes, there will probably be some disappointments, but it will always be interesting and educational. Half of the fun of laying down beer is the quest to find the perfect beer for cellaring. The other half, of course, is tasting it at the optimum moment, but the hardest part is resisting the temptation to drink your vintage beers before their time. Cheers! ------------------------------------------------- Recommended beer styles for laying down: Barleywines Old ales Trappist and abbey ales Belgian strong ales Belgian brown and red ales Belgian lambics and gueuzes Some India pale ales Strong double bocks Smoked beers Christmas or holiday ales, which are usually high in alcohol |
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