i brewed an imperial stout and it has been carbing for 2 weeks. I know i'm supposed to age this thing 6-12 months. Can i get away with aging less? I'm impatient and i really want to drink it some of it before 6 months. After 1 month, is it going to taste even close to what it's going to taste like after 6 or 8 months?
Do i really have to age my IS for so long?
- Thread starter McMalty
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Give it a taste every so often.
On mine I noticed a big difference between, say 3 months and 6 months, and between 6 months and a year. After one month it was almost undrinkable. YMMV.
On mine I noticed a big difference between, say 3 months and 6 months, and between 6 months and a year. After one month it was almost undrinkable. YMMV.
It's your beer, if you want to waste it, it's your prerogative....I mean the fact that we talk about a big beer needing to carb and condition, to actually taste good is not just something we tease impatient noobs with...
We all want our beer to be done... I'd like to see my 1.080 above beers ready from grain to glass in a week, and served to me by red-headed twin penthouse pets wearing garter belts and fishnet stockings, with Irish accents, calling me "master luv gun," but we can't always get what we want can we?
To me I'd rather wait to have two case of great beer, than have 2 cases minus whatever I tried to rationalize sneaking a few. I'm in it to make good beer. And especially to drink good beer. And if my beer's not ready yet, I go buy some.
Like I said it's your beer, you can dress it up in a cheerleader's outfit and call it Sally for all we care. But if it is flat and taste like crap (which it more than likely will) just don't start an "Is my beer ruined thread?" And don't lament in a year how you wished you had a few more bottles of this awesome Imperial stout.
*shrug*
We all want our beer to be done... I'd like to see my 1.080 above beers ready from grain to glass in a week, and served to me by red-headed twin penthouse pets wearing garter belts and fishnet stockings, with Irish accents, calling me "master luv gun," but we can't always get what we want can we?
To me I'd rather wait to have two case of great beer, than have 2 cases minus whatever I tried to rationalize sneaking a few. I'm in it to make good beer. And especially to drink good beer. And if my beer's not ready yet, I go buy some.
Like I said it's your beer, you can dress it up in a cheerleader's outfit and call it Sally for all we care. But if it is flat and taste like crap (which it more than likely will) just don't start an "Is my beer ruined thread?" And don't lament in a year how you wished you had a few more bottles of this awesome Imperial stout.
*shrug*
yeah, yeah, damn it, i knew i wouldn't be able to get away with it. freaking imperials are so good, i'm just so impatient. If it sucks, then i'll have been waiting for nothing, but if it's good, i'll have wished that i brewed some more in the mean time. To hell with it, I'll just wait
We all want our beer to be done... I'd like to see my 1.080 above beers ready from grain to glass in a week, and served to me by red-headed twin penthouse pets wearing garter belts and fishnet stockings, with Irish accents, calling me "master luv gun," but we can't always get what we want can we?
This happened once didn't it? And that's how you ended up in the hospital.
remilard
Well-Known Member
There are two things basically that happen with age. Oxidation, which is faster at warmer temps, and precipitation which is faster at colder temps. Cellar temps (50-55 F) may give you some of each.
Sean
Well-Known Member
He does look kinda old in his profile pic, and maybe a bit shrunken..
BellAub
Well-Known Member
It's your beer, if you want to waste it, it's your prerogative....I mean the fact that we talk about a big beer needing to carb and condition, to actually taste good is not just something we tease impatient noobs with...
We all want our beer to be done... I'd like to see my 1.080 above beers ready from grain to glass in a week, and served to me by red-headed twin penthouse pets wearing garter belts and fishnet stockings, with Irish accents, calling me "master luv gun," but we can't always get what we want can we?
To me I'd rather wait to have two case of great beer, than have 2 cases minus whatever I tried to rationalize sneaking a few. I'm in it to make good beer. And especially to drink good beer. And if my beer's not ready yet, I go buy some.
Like I said it's your beer, you can dress it up in a cheerleader's outfit and call it Sally for all we care. But if it is flat and taste like crap (which it more than likely will) just don't start an "Is my beer ruined thread?" And don't lament in a year how you wished you had a few more bottles of this awesome Imperial stout.
*shrug*
LMFAO!
Spoken like a true Jedi Brewer.
TRainH2o
Well-Known Member
I made a RIS at the first of January. I too was ready to get into it. My solution was to brew another beer, this time an IPA. It gave me something else to worry with, an has taken my mind off of my RIS.
I just dry hopped the IPA last night, so I am considering brewing again to eat up the week that my IPA has to dryhop and cold crash.
I just dry hopped the IPA last night, so I am considering brewing again to eat up the week that my IPA has to dryhop and cold crash.
commonsenseman
Well-Known Member
Best post I've seen in a while!
Ralelen
Well-Known Member
I cant really see it as a waste, its his beer he can do what he wants. A waste would be just dumping it down the drain.
Have a bottle, it will allow you to compare how it has matured in 6 months. That way you wont be so tempted to open a bottle next time you do another IS.
ksbrain
Well-Known Member
Amen, brotha!
Drink it if you like. You don't have to age it. It should improve with age. But on the other hand, it may just become stale due to oxidation. It all depends on how you've handled it to this point.
I am working on planning for this year's RIS and Barleywine to be aged for several months before drinking, but I will still tap into them "early". And if I like them at the time, I just might drain them before the recommended serving age.
In summary, do whatcha like. Best practice is to age big beers like RIS, but most of us probably down the whole batch before it has reached its peak.
ok then, i'm not worried about one brew, i'll try it next weekend. If it's bad, i'll drink it anyway. For the record, I drink EVERY beer I brew, whether it's good, bad, or indifferent. If it's bad, i like to think it teaches me a lesson, don't do that again or I'll have to drink 50 of these damn things. Second, i can't bring myself to dump the fruit of my labor down the drain. I'll just get a little tipsy so i can't taste as well, and then chug one. Just the way i am
erikpete18
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't worry too much about them oxidizing or going bad while they age. Unless you really treated them horribly, they'll be fine. If you want to try one every now and then to see how they are coming along, definitely go for it, especially if this is your first RIS. But to warn you, they will get better with age. Especially in the case of a RIS, I feel like the roasted barley in the recipe really needs some time to meld with the alcohol and mellow out a little bit. I've got a RIS in a keg that I've been sitting on for 6 months and finally threw on the CO2 for St. Paddy's day, and its much better now, even if it is a few pints lower than it should have been .
.TRainH2o
Well-Known Member
If you are going to "age" it, I would put it into a glass carboy or go ahead and bottle it. Over the long haul, plastic can let some oxygen in, short term it's not a problem.
I recommend sampling it as you like. You will learn patience eventually. With a beer that big it will probably not taste very good to start with, and get better over the months. But I've had some very tasty strong beers that were very young.
I like the idea of brewing something else to take your mind off. I have a batch of stout that really needs to be drank up, but my other brews have been keeping me busy. it's easier to ignore them when you have something else going on.
I like the idea of brewing something else to take your mind off. I have a batch of stout that really needs to be drank up, but my other brews have been keeping me busy. it's easier to ignore them when you have something else going on.
