Do your customers love craft beers for the variety in taste and the quality of ingredients used? Many Canadians have expressed a love for craft beer because it’s less “watery” than some mass-produced beers made by Labatt or Molson. If your food business sells craft beers or if you are a brewer that’s making craft beers, it’s important to provide adequate cold storage for these products. According to Craft Beer magazine, most beers taste better when stored in the cooler, but craft beers in particular must be stored in cool temperatures to preserve freshness and flavour. Since most craft beers are unpasteurized and full-flavoured beers, their shelf life become shorter when they are stored at room temperature for an extended period of time. Low temperatures can help slow down the aging process of craft beers and prevent flavour loss at the same time. According to the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), bottles of beer should be stored standing up in the cooler or refrigerator, instead of lying on their sides. Beers that have been stored in the cooler laying down can lead to yeast build up and oxidation (which is a chemical process that exposes beers to more oxygen and makes the drink taste stale). As well, the FDA recommends most beers to be stored in a cool, dark place away from direct sun light exposure because UV rays can ruin the beer’s taste. A beer is said to be “skunked” when it has been left out in the sun for a period of time. When a “skunked” beer is opened, it will give off a strong, unpleasant aroma caused by chemical reaction from UV ray exposure. While brown glass bottles are said to protect beers from some sunlight exposure, they will not prevent beers from getting “skunked” every time. The best practice for beer storage is to keep bottles of craft beer standing up in a spacious walk-in cooler, and away from sunlight as much as possible.
If you are a brewer or a food business in the GTA and you are in need of freezer and cooler units for beer, ice, or other temperature sensitive goods, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Coolmate Rentals. We specialize in providing cooler and freezer rentals for businesses in the food and beverages industries. Contact us today to discuss your cooler freezer needs!