How much damage does warming an already cold beer actually do?

I’m well aware that if you buy a cold beer, let it warm up then chill it again, you’re doing absolutely no favours for the beer at all.

However, at some stage soon I’ll probably need to do just that out of necessity with basically no way around it.

So my question is: How much damage does it actually do to the beer? i.e. to what degree will the damage be? totally ruined or still somewhat acceptable. How does it affect the taste, aroma etc?..

I’m sure the question will come up so they will mostly be IPA/DIPAs, Stouts and perhaps some lagers.

Any help from people who actually brew beer or know specifically about this subject would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Originally posted by Sevenlee


So my question is: How much damage does it actually do to the beer?

Originally posted by pepsiedcan

Originally posted by Sevenlee


So my question is: How much damage does it actually do to the beer?

None. A lot of beer you’ve drank has probably seen a wide range of temperature shifts before it gets to you. Keep it cold whenever possible to preserve freshness. Warming up a beer won’t do anything to it but make it warm if you’re talking room temperature. Obviously a 130 degree car is a different story.

Originally posted by legion242

Originally posted by pepsiedcan

Originally posted by Sevenlee


So my question is: How much damage does it actually do to the beer?

None. A lot of beer you’ve drank has probably seen a wide range of temperature shifts before it gets to you. Keep it cold whenever possible to preserve freshness. Warming up a beer won’t do anything to it but make it warm if you’re talking room temperature. Obviously a 130 degree car is a different story.

This. Anyone who thinks their beer has been kept cold from the brewery to your bag is fooling themselves.
Cold to room temp is no problem.
Cold to hot would be a problem.

about how long for a long neck bottle exactly?

Thanks for your responses guys. Seems I’ve now been educated! I’ll feel better about transporting my pre-chilled, pre-warmed, pre-chilled again beers.

Cheers!

While I agree with the above posts nearly 100%, there’s an important beer storage concept that must also be stated here.

Certain reactions within the finished beer may happen at a temperature "sweet spot" in which conditions supporting chemical or biological changes are maximal and/or conditions suppressing those changes are minimal or the right combination thereof. A beer slowly passing through a sweet spot or passing through that sweet spot repeatedly will be very unhappy.

So there’s something to be said for rapid cooling once you have beer in a warm state. You might take a prize beer after shipping and put it into an ice water bath, wrapped in a plastic bag if you care about the labels, before refrigerating.

Originally posted by CLevar

Originally posted by legion242

Originally posted by pepsiedcan

Originally posted by Sevenlee


So my question is: How much damage does it actually do to the beer?

None. A lot of beer you’ve drank has probably seen a wide range of temperature shifts before it gets to you. Keep it cold whenever possible to preserve freshness. Warming up a beer won’t do anything to it but make it warm if you’re talking room temperature. Obviously a 130 degree car is a different story.

This. Anyone who thinks their beer has been kept cold from the brewery to your bag is fooling themselves.
Cold to room temp is no problem.
Cold to hot would be a problem.

This is why we have rules for microwaving beer.

Originally posted by pepsiedcan
about how long for a long neck bottle exactly?

I have never ever experienced a problem with warming a beer up. As stated above, as long as it’s not sitting in a sweltering car for an extended amount of time, you shouldn’t have any problems.

It will skunk your beer.