Tastey Temperatures

Just like wine, beer has an ideal temperature range for drinking. It also has an idea storage temperature. Temperature is important for a number of factors.

First we'll talk about storage temperatures. To prevent early spoilage and increase longevity of you beer, you need to keep your beer out of direct sunlight and make sure that the temperatures stay relatively constant. Sunlight can lead to the "skunky" taste that many people find unpleasant (I am one of those). If you are brewing your own beer and are not able to keep your beer out of the light, then placing a dark colored t-shirt over the carboy will definitely help. Storage temps and fermentation temperatures are different for very specific reasons, but I am not going to go into detail about the fermentation. The style of beer plays a very important role in the temperature at which your beer is stored.

Strong beers, such as barleywines, tripels, and dark ales are better suited between 55-60 deg. Standard ales like IPA's, dopplebocks, and stouts should be stored at 50-55 deg. The last temperature is for light beers; lagers, pilsners, wheat beers, etc. is 45-50 deg.

As a rule of thumb, the higher the alcohol, the warmer the temp, and the opposite is true for lower alcohol beers.

Serving temperatures are a different story. The main reason for the temperatures given are to bring out the flavors found in the various styles of beer. Some beers are better served cold while other are better at room temperature. Here are some guidelines for different styles:

- Serve fruit beers at 40-50° F.
- Serve wheat beers and pale lagers at 45-50° F.
- Serve pale ales and amber or dark lagers at 50-55° F.
- Serve strong ales, such as barley wines and Belgian ales, at 50-55° F.
- Serve dark ales, including porters and stouts, at 55-60° F.

I hope that these guidelines help to make you beer drinking experience more enjoyable, and that you'll share these tips with you friends and family.

Cheers!