How long does beer keep for? I recently discovered about half a dozen bottles of lager that I’d “cellared”. I suspect they’re no longer on the market. They were given to me for my 21st and I’m now 30. I can’t see a best-by date, so I don’t know whether to risk it or not. What do you advise?
Firstly, congratulations for being able to leave six bottles of beer unopened for nearly 10 years. You’re a better man than I am. The general feeling about bottled beer is that it can last from six months up to about a year. But after that you’re on your own. After a decade, it might even represent a minor health hazard if drunk. Beer is a foodstuff in many respects and its contents will eventually go off. How quickly depends on the type of beer and the conditions it’s kept in. If the lager is no longer made you might want to keep the bottles – they might be collectable one day. But pour the contents down the sink. I notice that bottled and canned beers available in the shops these days do have a best-by date so you won’t be caught out again. The best-by dates seem to work out at around a year from the time the beer is produced, which supports the information I’ve gleaned from the experts on the net.
I have just bought a reasonably new car but I don’t know whether to fill it with regular or premium fuel. How do I find out? If my car is compatible with the lower-cost regular fuel, is there any point paying for the more expensive premium or even the top-price 98 fuel?
If your car is reasonably new, check the inside of your filler cap. A label can usually be found which points out the level of octane that particular car takes: 91, 95 or 98. According to the Automobile Association most cars, but not all, are designed to run on low octane. Tests by the AA suggest motorists would receive little or no financial gain by using 95 Octane in a car configured to run on 91. Equally, cars configured to run on 95 would receive no financial benefit from using 98. This is very important because production costs for high-octane fuel is widening the cost between 91, 95, and 98. The AA pointed out that at the time of writing there was a difference of 8 cents a litre between 91 and 95, and a similar difference between 95 and 98. So what the AA is saying is that despite the advantages offered by the higher octane fuels, it’s not worth the money unless your car is specifically configured to run on 95 or 98. If there’s no sticker on the inside of your filler cap, it might pay to check out your vehicle handbook, or contact the AA or your local mechanic.
