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Old 11-02-2012, 05:25 PM   #11
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Im doing it for the best reason there is: because I can.

Also, thats just not what im looking for. Im sure I can make it and let it sit for 3 months and then drink away and it will be quite good. But I am looking for the added flavors and complexities that the age can add.
I didn't pose the question like that to say that you were stupid or that you can't, I have just noticed a shift towards the 'not so fresh' side when I actually did keep a Tripel around for that long.

I brewed one back in Sept 2010 and around July of the next year (after starting to drink it in December), it wasn't so good anymore. It lost it's estery/phenolic/perfumy nose and just kind of fell flat in the aroma department. So I did what anyone would do: I brewed another and drank it quickly after bottling.

YMMV, but in my own experiences, darker beers (ones with more complex flavors that need time to meld & develop - think RIS or BDSA) benefit from aging. Lighter beers (like Tripels, Blondes, or Saisons - ones with more delicate flavors) don't really benefit that much from aging, or in my case, aging degraded the beer.


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Old 11-02-2012, 05:26 PM   #12
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Yeah, according to Brew Like a Monk, most triples go through a primary fermentation of 10-15 days, then are aged at around 0-2 degrees Celsius For 3-4 weeks. Then re pitched with yeast and bottle conditioned. But if you are going to age as long as you want to, definitely do it in the bottle unless you are aging on wood. Otherwise, it will be sitting on dead yeast for a long long time.

Not sure that I would recommend bottle aging this beer that long either, because you are risking oxidation by working with homebrewer equipment, and you will see those great Belgian yeast aromas fade as it ages.


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Old 11-02-2012, 05:31 PM   #13
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High alcohol Belgians age phenomenally, in my opinion. If brewed properly, the beer will be great upon bottling, but I dont think referring to it as it ages as "falling off" is appropriate. Sure, a beer will change over time but the only way I could see it being no good after a year is if you had something wrong with it.
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Old 11-02-2012, 05:34 PM   #14
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High alcohol Belgians age phenomenally, in my opinion. If brewed properly, the beer will be great upon bottling, but I dont think referring to it as it ages as "falling off" is appropriate. Sure, a beer will change over time but the only way I could see it being no good after a year is if you had something wrong with it.
To each their own.

However, I didn't say it was "no good". It changed in a way that I didn't want - the delicate aromas were nearly gone. Was it infected/papery/sour/disgusting? No.
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Old 11-02-2012, 05:50 PM   #15
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+1

Just bottled an abbey last week after a little more than 4 weeks in primary. Pretty tasty after 1 week in the bottle and slightly carbonated.
Just did the same with a Belgian Dark Strong with the same results. The good thing is it will get better and better as time goes by.
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Old 11-02-2012, 05:54 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by SteelString_Will

Not sure that I would recommend bottle aging this beer that long either, because you are risking oxidation by working with homebrewer equipment, and you will see those great Belgian yeast aromas fade as it ages.
Really? That's a first for me.....
As long as you do things right, you shouldn't have any oxidation issues..


I vote to bottle now and age in bottle...
I've done both, and theres no difference...plus it frees up a carboy!
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Old 11-02-2012, 06:02 PM   #17
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I would agree that the Duval aging model is the best for a tripple but the Dark Strong Belgian can benifit from a long bottle ageing. I just got a Chimey Blue with an 2009 date on the cork. Very tasty
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Old 11-02-2012, 07:00 PM   #18
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I recently started drinking an imperial nut brown that I let bulk age in secondary for about four months, then bottle age for another 4 plus. For what it's worth, I have seen zero issues with carbonation, and this is a better than 8% ABV brew.
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Old 11-02-2012, 07:11 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by AmandaK View Post
I brewed one back in Sept 2010 and around July of the next year (after starting to drink it in December), it wasn't so good anymore. It lost it's estery/phenolic/perfumy nose and just kind of fell flat in the aroma department. So I did what anyone would do: I brewed another and drank it quickly after bottling.

YMMV, but in my own experiences, darker beers (ones with more complex flavors that need time to meld & develop - think RIS or BDSA) benefit from aging. Lighter beers (like Tripels, Blondes, or Saisons - ones with more delicate flavors) don't really benefit that much from aging, or in my case, aging degraded the beer.
I agree with this statement, I can keep RIS, BDSA and Dubbels for very long time and they benefit from long aging, i have 9 months old tripel and it was better two months ago than it is now.
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Old 11-02-2012, 07:47 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by crazyirishman34 View Post
I would agree that the Duval aging model is the best for a tripple but the Dark Strong Belgian can benifit from a long bottle ageing. I just got a Chimey Blue with an 2009 date on the cork. Very tasty
Agreed. I have a BDSA from February of 2011 that is aging magnificently. The version aged on Brett Lambicus is really just awesome - my how it has changed for the better!


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