Beer Storage: Inventory Tips for Different Beer Businesses

Breweries, businesses in the restaurant industry, retailers, and other companies use various solutions when it comes to beer storage. Kegs and pallets of beer cans and bottles are among the most common ones. However, due to the limited shelf life of beer, businesses need to incorporate certain procedures to minimize waste and improve efficiency. In this post, we’ll shed some light on how companies store beer and how that differs from the storage of other beverages. If you’re a business owner in this sector, you might find our article on beer marketing useful as well.

Key takeaway: Storing beer has its specifics. Raw materials used by breweries have different storage requirements. Furthermore, depending on the type of beer, it should be kept and served at a specific temperature to guarantee maximum freshness. Beer is usually stored in kegs for B2B sales or bottles and cans for direct sales.

How Businesses Store Beer

Although the ideal beer storage conditions are similar no matter the type of beer and the packaging, storage and warehousing procedures might differ. Here are a few important aspects of beer storage you should consider.

1. Once it’s connected to the draft system, keg beer needs to be kept at temperatures around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Unopened kegs can be stored in cool and dry places, away from sunlight. Canned and bottled beer is usually stored in warehouses at temperatures around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it’s prepared for serving, it’s kept in a refrigerator.
2. “First in, first out” (FIFO) is the preferred storage method for beer due to its limited shelf life of a few months. Restaurant managers and other businesses need to be extra careful with draft and different types of craft beer, as they usually have an even shorter shelf life.
3. There are certain regulations related to beer storage. Examples of such include temperature monitoring for HACCP compliance, labeling and tracking regulations, and licensing laws.
4. Establishments with extensive craft beer menus might need more complex beer storage solutions. That’s because different beer types have distinct serving temperatures. For example, a restaurant that serves rich and flavorful craft beers might need to cool them to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Storage of Brewery Raw Materials

Brewery raw materials have different storage requirements. Malt (different types of grains, primarily barley and wheat) should be kept in low-humidity conditions in a dry and well-ventilated storage. Food-grade containers, such as industrial airtight bins, are excellent solutions for independent breweries. Large manufacturers typically use grain storage silos.

Water is another important raw material for breweries. Large beer manufacturers usually have a source of fresh water. Smaller ones can either use tap water or store spring water.

The storage of hops is more specific than that of other materials. Typically, breweries freeze hops immediately after harvesting them and keep them frozen until brewing. This allows them to retain their aroma and other characteristics.

Yeast can be both dry and liquid. It’s kept in refrigerated conditions, or it can be frozen. It’s important to test yeast health before using it for brewing.

Different types of packaging materials are also used by breweries. That includes kegs, cans, bottles, cardboard, wrapping paper or stretch film, pallets, and other packaging solutions. Their bulkiness means they should be stored on shelves or other vertical solutions.

Beer Cellaring and Aging

Some breweries and other businesses might have specific beer storage that is used for beer cellaring and aging. This process is similar to aging whiskey or wine. It improves the characteristics and quality of beer. Most modern brewery management systems (read more about them in our article about beer software) give recommendations regarding the right conditions to age different types of beer.

Although aging has become a popular trend in the beer niche market, most beers are best consumed fresh. Aging is primarily suitable for stouts, barley wines, strong ales, and certain types of Belgian beers.

Beer Storage Equipment and Accessories

Breweries and other businesses that need to store beer use various types of accessories and equipment. Let’s examine some of them.

1. Kegs;
2. Kegerators;
3. Draft beer systems that include carbon dioxide tanks (or nitrogen tanks for stouts and other nitro-style beers), beer lines, tap faucets, and various other components;
4. Glass chillers;
5. Thermometers;
6. Cleaning kits for beer lines and other specific equipment;
7. Durable plastic or metal shelving for cans and bottles;
8. Raw materials storage solutions such as silos and tanks;
9. Boxes for storage of marketing materials, labels, and other stationery goods that can be used in brewery or restaurant marketing;
10. Pallets, stretch wrap, and other primary, secondary, or tertiary packaging solutions.

Frequently Asked Questions about Beer Storage

Whether you’re looking for restaurant inventory management tips or resources related to vendor-managed inventory, there are plenty of useful articles on BlueCart’s website. As you’ve just read a post about beer storage, the one about how to start a brewery can be of interest to you. Also, check out our answers to common questions regarding beer storage.

What Are the Trends in Beer Storage?

One of the biggest trends in beer storage and warehousing is related to better inventory management and tracking. By managing inventory more effectively, businesses can reduce waste and losses to a minimum. Another trend that can be seen in the beer market is related to sustainability. Many manufacturers from the food and beverage industry search for more eco-friendly packaging solutions and integrate other environmentally friendly policies. 

Businesses look for ways to reduce costs by automating processes. That’s why better tracking and automation are also major trends in beer storage, production, and sales.

What Is the Best Way to Store Beer?

The ideal storage conditions for beer are a temperature between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit and away from direct sunlight. That is true for both bottled and kegged beer. The reason why there are often beers on grocery shelves instead of in refrigerators is that it’s a high-demand product. Since it’s pasteurized before sealing, it can be stored for a certain period of time at room temperature. However, exposure to heat and direct sunlight can compromise the packaging and spoil the contents. 

What Are the Different Beer Packaging Solutions?

There are two main categories of beer packaging options – for B2B and for D2C sales. Most common packaging solutions for direct-to-consumer sales:

1. Bottles. They range between 11 and 26 fluid ounces (between 330 and 750 milliliters). Their color is usually brown but it can also be green. 
2. Cans. Made of aluminum, they are lightweight and block sunlight. They come in similar sizes as glass bottles.

Common packaging solutions for B2B sales of beer:

1. Kegs. They range in size between 5 and 15 gallons. Kegs are reusable and durable. They are a staple for draft systems.
2. Pallets of multipacks and carriers. Retailers purchase beer in pallets of multipacks and carriers from beer distributors. 

BlueCart: Where Suppliers and Bulk Buyers Meet

Thanks to our software, thousands of specialized and broadline distributors have increased their wholesale sales while automating distribution processes. Furthermore, thanks to BlueCart’s features, suppliers can create eCommerce catalogs, optimize delivery routing, and issue invoices. Retailers, restaurant businesses, and other bulk buyers can also use BlueCart in multiple ways. From finding suppliers to managing inventory and comparing prices on BlueCart’s marketplace, businesses can benefit from our wholesale ordering software. Schedule a demo and see what makes BlueCart one of the top solutions for wholesale distribution companies.