Bottle conditioned beer needs to stay warm for a week or 2 to carbinate. Kegged beer takes a week or 2 to carbinate depending on the pressure and temperature. Some styles of beer it is best to let them age for a month or more before drinking.

Never had homebrew go skunky. That comes from UV light getting to the beer. So use dark bottles and keep it oput of the light. Commercial style brewing is also more subseptable to it happening. Brew it fast also means it spoils fast. Some styles such as IPA was also developed for long term storage.

5 gallons if kegged uses CO2 pressure to dispence so it can't go flat as long as you keep pressure on it. If bottled it can't go flat until you open it. 5 gallons yeilds 48 to 52 bottles. So it's not that much much if you drink a case a week.

How long it keeps depends alot on the style of beer and how you keep it. I have beer over 2 years old in cardboard boxes sitting under the dining room table. Tastes better then when I bottled them. They are all dark beers though (porter, stout, dopplebock). Lighter beers (APA, blondes, wheats, etc) are usually better in the 1 to 6 month range.

WWW

 

Agree with wolf on flavor improving with age. However I've found once I put them in the frdige they don't last long at all after that. :smack

 

I made my first batch of nut brown ale on 4th of July. The fermentor has not exploded and I will bottle it this weekend. I had a ball...

 

Welcome Brian! Please remember that the hoppiness of the beer (or whatever the bittering agent) will determine the length of time the beer is good.

IPAs (India Pale Ales) were brewed in England and then shipped to India (on a sailing schooner), a 6 month trip.

American beers and ales are less hoppy, and have a tendency of deteriorating faster.

The 'skunkiness' comes from repeated heating/cooling.

I'll write more when I have more time.

 

Cool thread, I also just brewed my first batch. I chose the Itsy Bitsy IPA from Austin Home Brew. It spent a week in the fermentation bucket and is now 1 day in the carboy. In 6 days, they get bottled for 3 weeks.

I did the 1 Gallon setup, not the 5 gallon. Looking forward to hearing more in this thread.

-Mike

 

I started brewing a few month ago, and so far I've drunk every batch before it even hit the 2 month mark. I've read that you can store it from anywhere between 6 months to 2 years. But really, once you taste you it won't last that long. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Get yourself a basic kit, brew a few beers, and enjoy!