Does beer have to be kept cold?
In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “does beer have to be kept cold” with an in-depth analysis of whether or not it is necessary to keep the beer cold. Moreover, we are going to discuss what beer is.
So without much ado, let’s dive in and figure out more about it.
Does beer have to be kept cold?
So when it comes to the beer, to preserve its freshness for a long time it is recommended to keep it inside a refrigerator. But it does not mean that the unopened beer stored at room temperature would go bad or get skunked.
Basically, the worst enemies of the beer are direct sunlight, extremely hot temperature, and oxygen. All of these factors degrade the flavor, color, and overall quality of the beer.
Oxygen
As long as the beer is unopened, no air will find its way to the beer, thus no oxygen will get in the bottle of the beer and there will be no oxidation reaction that could otherwise degrade the quality and freshness of the beer.
So as long as the beer is unopened, storing it even at room temperature won’t make your beer go bad. But once you open your beer bottle, it is recommended to keep it refrigerated in an ait-tight bottle and consume it as soon as possible. It is not recommended to leave your opened beer bottle at room temperature as the bacteria can find their way to your opened beer and can degrade its quality.
Sunlight
Now comes the second factor that can affect the quality of the beer and that is none other than the direct sunlight. So if the bottle of beer is kept in direct sunlight, the UV radiations from the sun can enter the bottle of the beer and can degrade the quality of the beer by inducing oxidation reactions in it. Therefore it is always advised to store your beer in a dark place. So as long as your beer is unopened you can store it in a cool, dry, and dark corner of your pantry.
Temperature
Last but not least comes the temperature. Now the colder the temperature is the more will be the shelf life of the beer. But it does not necessarily mean that if you keep an unopened bottle of the beer at room temperature it will go stale. No, it does not work like that. An unopened bottle of beer lasts for about 6-9 months if stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of your pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Moreover, you can store your store-bought refrigerated beer in a cool, dry, and dark corner of your pantry without worrying about it getting skunked. But storing the beer at too high temperature (above 90 degrees Fahrenheit) can induce some chemical reactions in the beer that can degrade its quality.
So if you want to keep your beer fresh for a long time, it is better to keep it cold and to store it at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the fridge. Refrigeration can increase the shelf life of beer to a year or sometimes even more.
What is beer?
Beer is one of the oldest and most commonly consumed beverages on the planet, and the third most famous beverage by and large after water and tea. Beer is fermented from oat grains—most ordinarily from barley, however, wheat, maize (corn), and rice are also used sometimes for the manufacture of beer.
During the manufacturing process, fermentation of the starch sugars in the wort produces ethanol and carbonation in the subsequent beer and that is the key process that forms the backbone of the whole process. Nowadays many modern beers are brewed by using hops, which add a tinge of bitterness and different flavors to the beer along with playing its role as a stabilizing agent and preservative.
Beer contains approximately 150 calories per can but this figure varies significantly depending upon the manufacturer of the beer and the type of it. While talking about the nutritional profile of the beer, beers vary greatly in their wholesome content.
The ingredients that are used to make beer, including the yeast itself, provides a large amount of different healthy nutrients. Thus, beer may contain a lot of nutrients including magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, chromium, and B vitamins.
While talking about the alcohol content of the beer, 12 oz of regular beer contains about 5% of alcohol which means that a 12 oz can of beer approximately has 0.6 oz of alcohol.
Other FAQs about Beer which you may be interested in.
How long does a keg of beer last?
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we answered the question “does beer have to be kept cold” with an in-depth analysis of whether or not it is necessary to keep the beer cold. Moreover, we discussed what beer is.
Citations
https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/how-to-store-beer-the-5-rules-to-storing-your-beer
https://www.allagash.com/blog/can-cold-beer-get-warm/?ao_confirm
