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Does beer have any "real" expire date?

posts: 30

David_18Threads: 111 Posts: 1,212 Joined: Jan 4, 07 ♂	Apr 17, 10, 11:53 #1
Well i just found 20 bottles of "krombacher weizen" in my cellar but the expire date is 12-12-08 on them, and that was like a year and a half ago. My question is, are they still drinkable?

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Apr 17, 10, 12:06 #2
Just look at them as expiring on the 8th of December 2012 and all will be well :) David, the Star of Israel, you do your people proud with your stinginess ;) ;)

richasisThreads: 5 Posts: 833 Joined: Jul 25, 09 ♂	Apr 17, 10, 12:08 #3
My beer is pretty much expired when I p!ss it away.

WroclawThreads: 77 Posts: 7,404 Joined: Apr 1, 06 ♂ [Moderator]	Apr 17, 10, 12:11 #4
David_18: My question is, are they still drinkable? One thing that will destroy beer is light... hence the dark bottle. Another is heat. The only way to find out is to drink some.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Apr 17, 10, 12:23 #5
David, be careful that you yourself don't have an expiry date after drinking them ;0 ;) If in doubt, safety first! They are not antiques that can't be found elsewhere. Krombacher is quite easy to come across. Wrocław is the voice of reason, I'd go with his advice :)

ThePotatoeThreads: 3 Posts: 53 Joined: Apr 4, 10 ♂	Apr 17, 10, 13:48 #6
everything expires except honey i guess

convexThreads: 46 Posts: 7,185 Joined: Nov 25, 09 ♂	Apr 17, 10, 14:18 #7
David_18: My question is, are they still drinkable? It won't make you sick. It might taste a bit nasty. Pour one, and you'll probably be able to make a fairly quick decision on what to do with the remaining 19.

David_18Threads: 111 Posts: 1,212 Joined: Jan 4, 07 ♂	Apr 17, 10, 17:39 #8
Thank you all for your response!! 16 bottles to go :D

♂

Edited by: Prusakowski Apr 17, 10, 20:18 #9

Beers do have an expiry date.

If the beer has been filtered through a diatomaceous earth pre-coat filter to 'polish' it prior to bottled (and most 'factory beers' are polished with pre-coat filters to take out excess yeast particles), any soluble iron (Fe) leached from the filter-aid promotes the formation of tannins inside the packaged product.

If in a bottle, exposure to sunlight acts to catalyse tannin formation in beer - one reason why traditional tasty high yeast content beers have to be put in coloured/dark glass bottles. In contrast the factory lager beers have been polished to such an extent (ie filtered to remove yeasts and other particulates almost to the extent that the beer flavour is removed), that lager beers take longer to expire.

In non-technical terms the beer will taste 'off' if expired due to the ageing of the yeasts and soluble iron-induced oxidation and promotion of tannins. To keep packaged beers fresher for longer - keep them cold and in the dark !

SashaThreads: 2 Posts: 1,597 Joined: Apr 19, 08 ♂	Apr 17, 10, 20:38 #10
David, beer has expiration date. Although I can understand you feelings about 20 bottles of krombacher. ;) Try one if it tastes sour then throw it away, if it tastes ok then either drink it or if don't want taking a risk use it in cooking or in sauna. :)

rich55Threads: 3 Posts: 67 Joined: Jul 27, 09 ♂	Apr 17, 10, 21:07 #11
I've just drunk some Czech Budweiser which was 14 months old and it tasted fine. There's no such thing as bad beer.......

RevokeNiceThreads: 21 Posts: 2,766 Joined: Jun 20, 09 ♂	Edited by: RevokeNice Apr 17, 10, 21:21 #12
rich55: I've just drunk some Czech Budweiser which was 14 months old and it tasted fine. Its Budvar! Beer doesnt have an expiry date, it has a best before date.....

TheOtherThreads: 5 Posts: 1,584 Joined: Jul 13, 09 ♂	Apr 17, 10, 21:59 #13
rich55: There's no such thing as bad beer....... There is, but after 20 bottles you don't notice it any more. ;)

♂

Apr 18, 10, 23:24 #14

I always went by 3 months.after that it's time to get a fresh brew but first I drink up what I had left from the old one which most time there wasn't any.

dtaylor5632Threads: 49 Posts: 4,459 Joined: May 2, 09 ♂	Apr 18, 10, 23:33 #15
Beer is fine upto about 7 months if kept in a cool dry place away from sunlight.

ArienThreads: 6 Posts: 1,604 Joined: Oct 20, 08 ♂	Apr 18, 10, 23:41 #16
I have a beer in my hand, and the label on the back reads: 18-10-10. I've bought them yesterday, so you can do the math?

plk123Threads: 30 Posts: 6,412 Joined: Aug 29, 07 ♂	Apr 19, 10, 07:42 #17
David_18: My question is, are they still drinkable? definitely not so my advice is that you send it to me for the proper disposal. ;) :D

David_18Threads: 111 Posts: 1,212 Joined: Jan 4, 07 ♂	Apr 19, 10, 10:07 #18
The beer actually tasted better then before. But i did find some wierd white stuff in the bottom of 2 bottles that i didn't drink.

polkamaniacThreads: 1 Posts: 514 Joined: Aug 2, 09 ♂	Apr 20, 10, 19:31 #19
that white stuff is the residue from the hops.the fermentation process is still at work.

krakowiakThreads: 4 Posts: 131 Joined: Jul 30, 08 ♂	Apr 20, 10, 20:33 #20
David_18: white stuff in the bottom of 2 bottles polkamaniac: the residue from the hops Its yeast not hop. Good wheat beer allways has it on the bottom, for optimal taste you "wash it out" with the last few drops of beer by turning the bottle in your hands and fill it in a glas.

♂

Apr 20, 10, 21:09 #21

krakowiak:

Its yeast not hop. Good wheat beer allways has it on the bottom, for optimal taste you "wash it out" with the last few drops of beer by turning the bottle in your hands and fill it in a glas.

Those are all the vitamins that make a hefe the glorious creation that it is. Might want to google "how to pour a hefeweizen", I think the paulaner bottles have instructions on proper yeast removal technique.

westminster 293

Apr 21, 10, 13:00 #22

David_18:

Well i just found 20 bottles of "krombacher weizen" in my cellar but the expire date is 12-12-08 on them, and that was like a year and a half ago.

My question is, are they still drinkable?

The question should be who in their right mind keeps beer for this length of time, without it being drunk, those bottles have been shouting let me out let me out! for all those years and you do nothing.

This is a serious kidnapping offence and should not go unreported, crime stoppers should be informed of this.

lowfunk99Threads: 18 Posts: 435 Joined: Jan 7, 08 ♂	Apr 21, 10, 15:21 #23
The hops in the beer end up degrading. Since the style of a Weiss is usually under hopped it will probably taste ok. More hops would have meant more change in flavor. Less hops would mean less change of flavor. However, hops are a preservative, so, who knows!

polkamaniacThreads: 1 Posts: 514 Joined: Aug 2, 09 ♂	Apr 21, 10, 18:38 #24
Yeast or hops???? All I know is, beer is good and refreshing and with a beer fridge in my rec room,I really don't have it to worry about the settling on the bottom of the bottle.

smurfThreads: 46 Posts: 660 Joined: Sep 8, 09 ♂	Apr 21, 10, 22:32 #25
sure what have you got to lose? go for it and let us know the result after you've drunk the lot

plk123Threads: 30 Posts: 6,412 Joined: Aug 29, 07 ♂	Apr 22, 10, 08:24 #26
polkamaniac: Yeast or hops???? yeast

polkamaniacThreads: 1 Posts: 514 Joined: Aug 2, 09 ♂	Apr 22, 10, 14:39 #27
can't be any different like, when a bottle of wine is opened and sits for a while.Soon there is sediment at the bottom of the bottle.nothing wrong with the wine--run it thru a coffee filter and you have a nice ,clear bottle of wine.I've done it many times and I am still here.

♂

Apr 22, 10, 14:47 #28

polkamaniac:

can't be any different like, when a bottle of wine is opened and sits for a while.Soon there is sediment at the bottom of the bottle.nothing wrong with the wine--run it thru a coffee filter and you have a nice ,clear bottle of wine.I've done it many times and I am still here.

Wheat beer is normally unfiltered. You will only see separation in a filtered lager if it's been sitting around for decades.

David_18Threads: 111 Posts: 1,212 Joined: Jan 4, 07 ♂	Apr 23, 10, 16:31 #29
smurf: go for it and let us know the result after you've drunk the lot Yupp they were all drinkable except the 2 bottles with the wierd stuff in it. Mysterium solved :)

polkamaniacThreads: 1 Posts: 514 Joined: Aug 2, 09 ♂	Apr 23, 10, 17:29 #30
If i'm not mistaken the "weird stuff" in Polish is called "fusy"

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