how long does beer stay good?

Question

in the fridge, unopened, how long until beer goes flat?

cuz one time i got a flat beer, and it hadn't even been in there that long!

Answer 1

The carbonation will practically never go away unless there was a mistake in the canning/bottling process. As far as taste goes, a few things come into play here-

-Higher ABV beers will last longer and even take on some desirable characteristics over a few years as the alcohol oxidizes and takes on certain sherry like flavors
-More highly hopped beers will last longer (although loose some hop presence), as hops are a natural preservative
-Bottled beers will last longer than cans, and you can even dip the head in wax to seal it 100%.
-Bottle conditioned beers, or beer that still has active yeast cultures will last longer.

In general, 90% of beer styles, & 99% of beer produced should be drank within 6 months or so, but some can age well for decades.

Answer 2

Ryan G has it perfect, the higher the alcohol content, the longer it lasts.

This is why IPA's (Indian Pale Ale) has a higher alcohol percentage. When the English were shipping pale ales to India, they noticed the beer would go bad upon arrival. So, they added more hops to preserve the beer longer. This in turn increased the alcohol percentage.

I once purchased a beer called the Three Stooges Beer. It was discontinued years ago, but it contained a great deal of hops. It was still drinkable, and rather good too. I also purchased on E-Bay a bottle 1994 Samuel Adams Triple Bock. This beer is still good to drink, and seems to get better every year. Of course, this beer is 17.5% (35 proof), and set the record for the highest alcohol percentage in a beer at the time.

Answer 3

I think it really depends on the kind of beer. I'm no expert, but I would think that beer can last up to a year after you buy it, maybe even longer. I have had some beer in my fridge and drank it a year or so later and it was fine. As for the bottle/can issue, bottles seem to keep the foaminess better. I think the beer is colored glass keeps longer because it keeps the light out better, which I know can add to the fermentation process. Best thing to do is drink it as fast as possible, that way you don't have to worry about things like this.

Answer 4

According to Anheuser-Busch their beer is good for 110 days from the born on date.

As far as testing this, can't say a beer has every gone undrunk in my house. And there are always upsets that may cause a beer now and then to be bad. It could have not been sealed just right and it went flat or it could have gotten a wrong mixture of ingredients. I got a Coors Light a few weeks ago at a restaurant that smelled (and tasted) like really sour milk. But mistakes are to be expected with anything... no one is perfect.

Answer 5

The brewers give beer a shelf life when it's made,which is usually stamped on the can or bottle...they recommend You drink it by that date.unopened,it probably won't even go flat by then....
(Just saw Your edit...)
...unless there was a problem!
If You got a flat beer,it was probably a one off-if there were others in the pack,return them to where you bought them for a refund-if no good,check for a batch number on the beer,and contact the brewer..You may get a refund!

Answer 6

It will stay fr a while, I know a friend of my dads came over and drank a beer that was over a year old and said that iit was fine. I don't suggest doing that but I'm sure it will stay for a while.

Answer 7

A year if kept at a constant tempurature and in the dark. That's why most beer bottles are brown.

Answer 8

from being bottles, beer has a year on it.
i would say it would stay bubbly until opened though
if yours went flat it might have been that way from the factory

Answer 9

don't know, I can't keep em long enough.