Bottled kit beers - best before?

[spikey]

Well, thanks in large part to you lot helping me out by answering my newbie questions a few weeks back, my very first beer kit's ended up making 40 pints of good stuff It's Munton's Porter, and at 4 weeks in the bottle it's already very pleasant pint indeed.

I've just now got kit number two (Woodforde's Nog) on the go, and I'm trying to plan production so we have enough to keep the thirst away through the Autumn and into Winter, so the question now is - how long is bottled Munton's Porter likely to be good to drink? And likewise the Nog?

[sbond10]

ive heard somebody on here with a brewferm kit and still was drinking the bottles 2 years later but that was a high abv beer so maybe 12 months ? but if it smelt horrific then id toss it that would be my way and drink one bottle wait 24 hours and carry on drinking if your not on the crapper. But i dont think theres anything likely to kill you in there or do you serious harm.

[twentyfootwilf]

I should think there would be no problem with keeping a bottled beer for 12 months. I've had beer up to 6 months and it has just improved so 12 months should be fine.

[cellone]

A lot will depend on your bottles and their caps.

[Barloch]

i doubt anyone has had many lasting that long, the longest I've kept a brew is 5 months and that was a single bottle!

I have read on here that brewferm last long due to their high alcohol, xmas brews best 6-8 months.

but Im sure beers are ok to drink 12-18 months.

but i really doubt yours will last that long....

[simon50]

like cellone said; it will depend entirely on the bottles.

glass bottles with a good seal will be kept for all intensive purposes years.

PET have a lifespan, eventually oxygen will get into bottles through the plastic although i have not before left beer for such an extended period of time, i don't know "how long" is "too long".

see here for extended explanation:

http://www.cider.org.uk/bottles.htm

[spikey]

Thanks chaps. They're glass bottles with good crown caps put on properly so I reckon it'll be drunk well before it's gone off or whatever ...

[Dominic]

Just remember those who say 'it won't last long'... Some of us enjoy drinking (and for me just getting into brewing beer) but due to our jobs/watching our health can't drink much. I average 5-7 pints a week and have 60 pints in the cellar but am itching to brew again. So we aren't all p heads who guzzle it down

[cellone]

Just remember those who say 'it won't last long'... Some of us enjoy drinking (and for me just getting into brewing beer) but due to our jobs/watching our health can't drink much. I average 5-7 pints a week and have 60 pints in the cellar but am itching to brew again. So we aren't all p heads who guzzle it down

How very dare you, a brew takes me at least a fortnight to drink

[Soutie]

I am currently still drinking a Youngs single can mild I made with the addition of Demerara sugar two years after I bottled it and it is tasting better than it did at a year. I bottle in glass and usually have some beers in my stock that are a year to two years old and have not had a problem so far. In fact most improve with age.

[Gosbeck]

I have found that beers with an ABV 0f 3.5% to 5% stored in brown glass bottles with a crown cap keep well for up to 18 months and those with a higher ABV will keep ;onger.