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Beer is perishable and needs to be stored in the right environment. If you don’t have a beer fridge to hand, we recommend storing your beer in the fridge. But how do you store your beer bottles in the fridge the right way? How do you stack your beer bottles and organise them in the best possible way?
That’s what we’ll be exploring today… So read on to find out how you can store your beer in the fridge properly!
Do I Store Beer Horizontally or Vertically?
Store your beer vertically – you should store your beer upright to prevent yeast rings from forming inside the bottle. When you store your beer horizontally, yeast rings often occur inside the bottle, but storing it vertically means the yeast sits at the bottom of the bottle instead.
Storing your beer upright can also protect the cap and the seal of the bottle. If you keep your beer horizontal for long periods of time, it can affect the seal, potentially leading to oxidation.
How Long Can I Keep Beer in the Fridge?
Your beer can last anything from 6 to over 12 months in the fridge, provided you haven't opened it, of course. We generally recommend that you consume refrigerated, unopened beer within 8 months.
However, if you have opened a bottle of beer, make sure you consume it within a day or two, regardless of the expiration date.
If you've taken your beer out of the fridge, it's perfectly fine to put your beer bottles back in the fridge. There are no health risks associated with taking beer out of the fridge, letting it warm up a little and then putting it back in.
How Do I Organise Beer Bottles in My Fridge?
If you're storing your beer in your regular refrigerator – the same place you store your food – then you want to use your space wisely. Here are some tips on how to organise and stack your beer bottles in your fridge:
- Use the door storage to store your beers upright
- If you don’t have enough door space, opt for a beer bottle stacker specifically for fridges
- Stack your bottles on top of each other to save space
- Organise your bottles by type – for example, group together your lagers, your IPAs and your ales
- Alternatively, organise your beer bottles by frequency of consumption – for example, the beers you drink most, the beers you save for special occasions, etc
- Store the beers you drink the most in an easily accessible space in your fridge
- Label your beers so you can quickly and easily find your beer of choice in your fridge
What Temperature Should I Store My Beer?
The optimal storage temperature for beer depends on the type of beer. Lighter beers, for example, should be stored at lower temperatures, whereas Belgian ales should be stored at warmer temperatures. See the table below to learn more:
| Beer Type | Ideal Temperature |
|---|---|
| Lager and lighter beers | 0–4°C |
| Ales | 4–7°C |
| Belgian ales | At least 10°C |
If, however, you are storing your beer for ageing or cellaring, then we recommend warmer temperatures between (10-15°C). The key is to maintain a consistent temperature as much as possible. This will help to keep the flavours intact, and prevent the beer from prematurely ageing and tasting 'off'.
Unfortunately, keeping a consistent temperature can be tough with a regular refrigerator. This brings us to our next point…
What is the Best Way to Store Beer Bottles?
The best way to store beer bottles is in a specialist beer fridge. Beer fridges can provide a consistent temperature for your beer bottles which can preserve the flavour and quality.
With some beer fridges, you can also create multiple temperature zones, which means you can store your IPAs and ales at separate temperatures within the same unit.
If you don’t have a beer fridge, why not store your beer in a dual-zone wine fridge? This means you can store your wine at one temperature, and your favourite bottles of beer at another.
Check out the top-quality beer fridges we have for sale here at Elite Wine Refrigeration, and be sure to review our recommendations of the top 5 best beer fridges for your man cave.