Changes

A study on still white wines found that in some cases, bottles stored on their sides had slightly less oxidation after 5 years or storage than if they were stored upright, however, the larger variable in the study was the type of cork (natural vs synthetic, with the synthetic cork allowing more oxidation over 5 years of storage than the natural corks). It has long been asserted that still wine should be stored on its side so that the cork remains wet, which expands the cork and limits oxidation over time. However, this study found that cork wetness and bottle orientation had only a small impact in how well the wine aged, and the two types of corks studied differed in how wet they were when stored upright. When comparing two different types of corks for the same wine and stored upright versus on their side, one cork type had relatively low wetness regardless of bottle orientation (~15% after 5 years), while the other cork type was less wet when stored upright (65% upright vs 90% horizontal after 5 years). Regardless of the wetness of the corks, they performed similarly as far as protecting the wine from oxidation regardless of the wetness and bottle orientation (bottle orientation had minor effects in some cases), however, a previous study found that wine bottles stored on their sides were preserved better <ref>[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-0238.2005.tb00036.x/full The impact of closure type and storage conditions on the composition, colour and flavour properties of a Riesling and a wooded Chardonnay wine during five years' storage. G.K.SKOUROUMOUNIS, M.J. KWIATKOWSKI, I.L. FRANCIS, H. OAKEY, D.L. CAPONE, B. DUNCAN, M.A. SEFTON, E.J. WATERS. 2005.]</ref>. See also [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/2125390790822457/ this MTF discussion]. Inferring any results from these studies to carbonated beer is difficult because the internal pressure caused by carbonation will create a different dynamic of gas exchanges through the cork (see [[Aging_and_Storage#Corks_vs_Caps|Corks vs Caps]] above). However, this information might be helpful in understanding the wider picture, and it is directly relevant to uncarbonated beer that is stored in corked and caged bottles, such as some Belgian lambics or uncarbonated American sour beers.

* [https://embracethefunk.com/2011/09/29/stand-up-lay-down-upright-sideways-uggghhh/ Brandon Jones article on corked bottle storage (verticle vs horizontal) with comments from Belgian lambic brewers.]