Many beers made in this modern age are not suitable for aging. Some craft and micro-brewed ales can be enjoyed much more fully by aging them a short amount of time, however! Beers containing a medium to high level of alcohol are the best candidates for ageing. Proper aging of beer can bring out exceptionally flavorful taste differences than drinking the beer early on. Beers of the barley wine style can even benefit from aging for as many as ten years! Subtle differences in the play of the malt and hop character of properly aged beers can be a great treat for the discerning beer fan.
If an ale is of mid-high alcohol content (about 5% to 8%), the taste can usually benefit from aging the beer for up to a year. This allows for the harshest tones of the ale to mellow out a bit, allowing the subtler tones of both malt and hops to come through. Most beer is made to be drunk within a certain time period, usually six months. The tendency of a beer to taste better with proper aging is usually a quality of darker beers. Make sure that if you are aging a beer that the beer is suited to such a practice, or you may be wasting your time and energy.
One type of beer that is almost always improved with aging is the barley wine style ale. These ales can reach up to 20% alcohol, although they usually hover around 8% to 14%, keeping them fresh tasting even after prolonged time periods. This makes them the primest candidates of the beer world for aging. In many large cities you can find barley wine tastings at the finer alehouses. Ask around in these establishments if you are interested in finding out a lot more about barely wines.
If you are a fan of light colored ales, do not be assuaged from ageing beer. IPAs can sometimes benefit from a short amount of aging, up to six months. A nice, strong Belgian White can age well for up to a year, but it should be of 6% or more alcohol.
Another sign of a beer that may do well with aging is exceptional hop character. I would recommend Stone Brewery’s Arrogant Bastard for aging, as well as their double bastard and especially the old guardian. Stone brewery tends to really emphasize the hopp-y-ness of their ales, and as all us home brewers know, hops keep beer fresh and prevent spoiling. These are among the reasons that hops have become such a predominant aspect of brewing throughout the ages.
Another aspect of brewing in the modern age that can make it easier to affect the proper aging of beer is the massive advancement in refrigeration technology that has happened in the last hundred years. Not only is it easy to store even non-pasteurized bottle conditioned ales in the household fridge, but with the invention of the kegerator, it has become a simple matter for anyone to age a keg of beer with no fear of it becoming spoiled.
Whether the kegs are stored in a custom made kegerator, or a home made kegerator conversion, it becomes quite simple to age ales for longer than ever before. For home brewers, particularly, the kegerator can allow for easier aging. Also, without a kegerator, it would be very difficult for a home brewer to make a proper lager beer. The cold temperatures at which these beers must be kept can only be kept with the use refrigeration for prolonged periods of time.
It seems clear that there is no time like the present to practice the proper aging of beer. So far, I have offered much advice on how the proper aging of beer, but the most difficult task lies ahead, and for which I can give you no tips, tricks, clues, or advice. Of course, the most difficult part of aging beer is acquiring the patience necessary to wait it out before quaffing your favorite brew! Good luck and as always, drink it in good health!
