Hot Beer: Is It Safe To Drink?

It is a common misconception that beer that has gotten hot and then been re-chilled is unsafe to drink. In fact, temperature cycling has little to no effect on beer freshness. Beer is best preserved when kept cold, and exposing beer to warm temperatures can affect its flavor in a matter of days. However, it will not make you sick, and it is safe to drink.

It is a myth that temperature cycling skunks beer

Temperature does, however, affect beer. But it is not temperature cycling that ruins it, but rather exposure to warm temperatures. Beer is best preserved when kept cold, like milk. Keeping beer refrigerated will maintain its flavor for much longer. Keeping beer at room temperature can reduce its shelf life from nearly six months to only a few weeks, and exposing it to very warm temperatures can affect its flavor in a matter of days. The beer might not taste very good, but it will not make you sick. Hop flavors and aromas will be diminished, and malt flavors that used to remind you of chocolate and caramel will begin to meld into a generic sickly sweet flavor. In some beers, reminders of wet cardboard and paper can develop.

Fluctuating temperatures over one or several years can cause oxygenation of the beverage, but this will not "skunk" it. In fact, slight temperature changes will not spoil your beer. It is the large temperature changes that will.

Heat will shorten the life of a beer, but it won't make it go bad

It is a common misconception that beer can't be warmed and then cooled again. This is a myth. In fact, it is likely that most beer has experienced several cold-to-warm cycles in its journey from the brewery to your glass. Beer is best preserved when kept cold, and refrigeration will slow down the natural oxidation process. However, heat will only shorten the life of a beer, and it won't make it go bad, spoil it, or "skunk" it in the short term.

Extended exposure to elevated temperatures will accelerate aging and oxidation, contributing to off-flavours and reducing the beer's drinkability. Hop flavours and aromas will be diminished, and malt flavours that used to remind you of chocolate and caramel will begin to meld into a generic, sickly "sweet" flavour. In some beers, reminders of wet cardboard and paper can develop. However, this will not remind you of a skunk.

Oxidation causes a stale, cardboard-like taste in the beer. Refrigeration slows down that oxidation process. In addition, refrigerators protect their contents from sunlight, preventing lightstrike, or exposure to too much natural light. Light-struck beer can taste skunked—musty and pungent. Dark brown bottles provide a barrier to UV rays, but even they can fall victim to extended light exposure. Lighter-coloured and clear bottles are especially at risk of becoming skunked if they are not kept away from natural light.

There is no specific temperature threshold at which beer will instantly taste stale. Instead, this is determined by a combination of temperature and time. Beer stored outside of a refrigerator has an accelerated ticking clock on its freshness. For example, beer stored at 100°F for one week will taste as old as beer stored at 70°F for two months, or as old as beer stored at 40°F for one year.

Beer is best preserved when kept cold

It is a common misconception that beer spoils if it gets warm and is then chilled again. In reality, beer is not too delicate to handle the transition from cold to warm to cold again. In fact, most beer has already experienced several cold-to-warm cycles in its journey from the brewery to your glass.

Beer is a perishable item, and it is best preserved when kept cold. The longer it is properly stored, the longer it will taste the way the brewery intended. Refrigeration dramatically slows the natural oxidation process of beer, which is why storing beer in a refrigerator is recommended. Keeping beer at room temperature can reduce its shelf life from nearly six months to only a few weeks, and exposing the same beer to very warm temperatures can affect its flavour in a matter of a couple of days.

The combination of temperature and time determines the freshness of beer. According to Craft Beer USA, "A general rule of thumb for the brewing industry is that beer stored at 100°F for one week tastes as old as beer stored at 70°F for two months, or as old as beer stored at 40°F for one year." Therefore, refrigeration extends the shelf life of beer.

In addition to temperature, light exposure also affects beer. Storing beer in a cool, dark space not only slows oxidation but also prevents lightstrike, or exposure to too much natural light. Light-struck beer can taste skunky and musty. While no beer benefits from being skunked, some beer can produce mellower, richer, more complex aromas if allowed to age.

Beer can sustain fluctuations in temperature without spoiling

It is a common misconception that beer cannot get warm and then cold again. This is untrue—beer can sustain fluctuations in temperature without spoiling. In fact, beer likely gets transported in trucks or shipping containers that are not refrigerated, and it may even spend a few hours on a pallet outside as the truck gets loaded.

Temperature cycling has little to no effect on beer freshness. If temperature changes could ruin beer, then all beer imported from Europe to the US would be undrinkable by the time it arrived. Beer is best preserved when kept cold, but occasional exposure to heat will not ruin it. Keeping beer at room temperature can reduce its shelf life from nearly six months to only a few weeks, and exposing it to very warm temperatures can affect its flavor in a matter of days. However, it will never make you sick. The main impact of heat is that it can cause the beer to oxidize more rapidly, leading to off-flavors. Refrigeration slows down the oxidation process and prevents lightstrike, or exposure to too much natural light, which can also affect the taste.

While slight temperature changes will not spoil beer, large temperature changes will. For example, if beer is left in a hot car for a week, it will taste as old as beer stored at room temperature for two months.

Beer stored cold will last longer

It is a common misconception that beer can't be warmed and cooled again. In reality, beer is unlikely to be affected by temperature cycling. In fact, it is likely that most beer has already experienced several cold-to-warm cycles in its journey from the brewery to your glass.

Beer is best preserved when kept cold, in a similar way to milk. Keeping beer refrigerated will help to maintain its flavour for longer. Storing beer at room temperature can reduce its shelf life from nearly six months to only a few weeks, and exposing it to very warm temperatures can affect its flavour in a matter of days.

The combination of temperature and time will determine the freshness of beer. Beer stored outside of a refrigerator has an accelerated ticking clock on its freshness. For example, according to Craft Beer USA, "beer stored at 100°F for one week tastes as old as beer stored at 70°F for two months, or as old as beer stored at 40°F for one year".

Refrigeration dramatically slows the natural oxidation process of beer, which can result in a stale, cardboard-like taste. Storing beer in a cool, dark space slows oxidation and prevents lightstrike, or exposure to too much natural light, which can cause beer to taste skunky. Dark brown bottles provide some protection from UV rays, but even they can be affected by extended light exposure. Lighter-coloured and clear bottles are especially at risk of becoming skunked if they are not kept away from natural light.

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