Expert: John Snyder - 1/29/2010

Question
How long will it take for caned beer to go bad when keeped cold

Answer
Beer doesn't go "bad"as related to a health issue.Beer loses it's freshness,flavor,aroma,and clarity,with time.The process is known as Oxidation.It's a chemical process of changing a compound,or element,into another compound,in the presence of oxygen.The time for these changes can be as short as 1 month,or as long as 2 years.Beer that is refrigerated,slows the process.The warmer beer is stored,the faster the breakdown occurs.Assuming the beer was well handled during the beer making process(oxygen pick up kept at minimum)one can expect beer to remain fresh,and crisp,for at least 6 months,refrigerated,before a taste difference is detected.A heavy beer,ale,or stout,conceals the change in taste longer.Taste changes,I.E stale,winey,metalic,filling,are just some of the changes in beer taste,due to oxidation.