Cellaring Redux

A couple months ago I posted about open that bottle night, and by extension, the practice of cellaring. Aging beer to enhance flavor and character has become increasingly popular among beer enthusiasts. Most beer is made to be drank while fresh. Certain beers such as big stouts and barley wines can really benefit from aging provided they are kept in proper conditions. Keeping them out of light is a must. It is best to store beer in an area of high humidity within a temperature range of around 50 to 65 degrees, hence the term cellaring.

About a year ago, Adam had the idea of creating a brewers reserve series of our homebrews. Basically we have been saving a bomber of every beer that we have brewed starting with a bock we bottled last April. This particular beer is not a very cellarable beer. Alcohol content is somewhere around 4.5%. It is not particularly dark either. This beer spent about 6 months in an actual cellar and then six months in my beer cabinet in my apartment. The result of aging the bock was interesting, but not surprising. The beer lost almost all of its hop character. No more aroma, no flavor, and very little bitterness. Overall the beer was slightly sweet. It tasted more like a pilsner but again without much of a trace of hops. It wasn't bad, but not particularly good either. It retained its carbonation and color for the most part. It had a nice creamy head. One thing to consider when cellaring bottle conditioned beers is the yeast. Later I went back to try and get a little more beer out of the bottle, and I accidentally poured in a bit of the yeast that was chilling at the bottom of the bottle. It really killed the rest of my glass. Year old yeast tastes a lot stronger then fresh yeast. Generally I try to avoid pouring in yeast and sediment from a homebrew, but a little bit in the glass is normal and actually kinda has become a distinct part of the homebrew experience for me. I am curious how the rest of the series will come out. Next up is an Otter Creek Copper Ale clone. I hope that the extra malt in this beer will have some positive effect upon the aging process. Until then, cheers.

Bock Lager

Still carbonated

What I'm drinking: Anchor Steam clone (home brewed)
What I'm listening to: Itunes on shuffle