299441 Mon Dec 13 18:58:23 -0800 2004 11 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1658940 There is a store in my neighborhood selling Goose Island Honker Ale for $2.50 a six pack. While I much prefer the Nut Brown, $2.50 is the deal of the century. The only thing I can figure is the best when consumed by date is 12-19, next Sunday. Now I realize that the beer isn't good on the 19th and bad on the 20th, but before I go buy it all, how far past that date would you figure was to old? Mon Dec 13 18:58:23 -0800 2004 0 Bobfrmia 1 1658943 There's is no way to really know. If the beer has been stored in a cool dark place since it left the brewery you will have some leeway. If the beer spent a hot September weekend in an overheated warehouse it may be spoiled already. By the way, at $2.50 per six pack can you be certain that the 12-19 does not refer to December 19, 2002? If you buy some keep it cold, the refrigerator is the best place. If your intention is to load up for the holidays do the best you can. Good luck. Mon Dec 13 19:50:42 -0800 2004 1658940 0 brookmonton 1 1658950 You can always just spend the 2.50 and find out if its still good........ Mon Dec 13 22:48:32 -0800 2004 1658940 0 Bob 2 1658965 I did spend the $2.50. I spent several $2.50's. My question should have been, if I buy 10 cases will it still be good in February? Tue Dec 14 08:26:25 -0800 2004 1658950 0 Bobfrmia 3 1658977 I think that if it's OK now and it sits quietly in a dark, maybe slightly cool place, it'll probably be fine in Feb. Tue Dec 14 11:43:10 -0800 2004 1658965 0 Jim Dorsch 1 1658967 Drink-by dates on beer are basically marketing nonsense. The longevity of a beer is effected far more by the way it is stored than anything else. If it's properly cellared, bottled beer doesn't ever go bad, it justs changes: bitterness drops out and caramelly flavors creep in. So how long it lasts really depends on what tastes you like. For example, I make a point of cellaring Bklyn Black Chocolate Stout for at least two years before drinking it. On the other hand, I try not to keep their Brown or IPA more than 6 months. Tue Dec 14 08:59:10 -0800 2004 1658940 0 Josh Mittleman 2 1658973 For my edification - doesn't it make a difference whether a beer is pasteurized, micro-filtered, or just plain raw? I thought that once a beer was pasteurized it pretty much quit doing anything - it might as well be stored forever. Light may turn it skanky, but there's nothing in it to "go bad". Micro-filtered beer still has some organisms, and raw beer has lots of living cultures - they change with age, and the raw, unfiltered stuff, really has to be drunk pretty quickly (if you want to maintain the fresh characteristics). Is this not true? As to the OP's question - is it generally true that all micro-brews are NOT pasteurized? I mean, in answering his question, is it relevant to ask if it's been pasteurized or is this picking a nit that doesn't really affect how long a beer lasts? Tue Dec 14 10:43:52 -0800 2004 1658967 0 applehome 3 1658976 Most microbrews are unpasteurized, but some, such as the Brooklyn bottled beers, are produced in large breweries under contract and are likely pasteurized. Most micros will at least filter, and if the beer is made properly (and that's pretty likely these days, at least from a bacteriological standpoint), then they won't be infected, and should age without going bad. A lot of the effects of age will surface in the form of oxidation. There is always a bit of oxygen in the bottle, and this can cause stale flavors. Bottle-conditioned beers are still active in the bottle; yeast can bind with the oxygen to produce tiny amount of alcohol and carbon dioxide. Tue Dec 14 11:42:19 -0800 2004 1658973 0 Jim Dorsch 3 1659034 >>"doesn't it make a difference whether a beer is pasteurized, micro-filtered, or just plain raw?" Calling a non-filtered, non-pasturized beer "plain raw" is a little, eh, misleading. I mean, you wouldn't want to start a run on small microbrews by raw food fanatics. >>"Light may turn it skanky, but there's nothing in it to "go bad"." The technical term here is skunky. And most of us beernuts would call that going bad. But beer does change over time and in most beers that is for the worse. How long and how bad depends on the type of beer. OTOH, some beers, high in alcohol, are made to be aged, especially in bottles. Filtering and pasturizing will certainly make the beer more stable, have longer shelflife--read, good drinkability. We're not talking beer becoming toxic even if stored badly for years. For one, the alcohol in the beer will inhibit most, if not all, nasties. Tue Dec 14 15:54:21 -0800 2004 1658973 0 mod'ern 4 1659060 Some strong, filtered beers (JW Lees, for example, and Samichlaus) age in interesting ways. I'm not sure why, and I don't think even the brewers know the answer. Tue Dec 14 18:04:17 -0800 2004 1659034 0 Jim Dorsch 2 1659134 I'd sell my soul for one of your cellared Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stouts. I don't have the will power (or cellar space) to forego the immediate gratification of this wonderful beer. And it seems that my local grocery store has stopped stocking it after only a couple weeks on the shelf. Wed Dec 15 15:53:30 -0800 2004 1658967 0 Sunnyside Rover 1 1659006 You'll need to register if you haven't already, but here is a description (among other things) of what can go wrong with beer and why it is best fresh. Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/14/science/14beer.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1103048701-yiBLBr+JUqYdBIyIGZuxtA Tue Dec 14 13:27:01 -0800 2004 1658940 0 muD