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NJTomatoguy · 09-06-2008, 12:22 AM

I am waiting longer,now that got a few batches in. I am still in bottle gathering mode, hope to be all HB after Christmas. This has totally taken over my laundry room. I have 12 cases bottled, and will bottle a mild brown during the huricane. So that will be 14 cases of beer.

but, moving these cases around is a PITA.

barely · 09-06-2008, 12:46 AM

On a recent vacation, I visited a very micro brewery (200 gal / week) that bottle conditions their beers in only one week. Fermentation is only 12 days. That's 19 days from grain to glass. Wyeast London Ale 1028 was used throughout. I should have asked what the conditioning temps were.

Ecnerwal · 09-06-2008, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJTomatoguy

but, moving these cases around is a PITA.

...so set up so you don't need to move them much? After years of having a really inconvenient beer closet, I cleared it all out, tiled the floor, painted the walls and ceiling gloss white, and set up shelves (also painted gloss white) so that I have a VERY sturdy carboy shelf, and then a bunch of other shelves that hold cases below that. Fill, park, ignore until time to put in fridge for drinking - no moving of cases other than to get beer out to drink, or to put empties back in. If that one bugs you, you could set aside an open shelf that has enough space for an entire case to be out on the shelf. Once I had that, then more bottles accumulated to fill the formerly open space ;-)

I keep thinking I'll make wooden cases one of these days, but the day never comes. If you find the weight of a full case annoying, look for the sturdy 12-pack boxes (made more like a real case, as opposed to like an oversized six-pack) some of the smaller breweries use.

Cugel · 09-06-2008, 02:09 PM

I generally leave my beer in primary for at least 3 weeks. I had a saison in there for 8 weeks recently. There is no temptation to taste during that period. You just have to make a lot of beer initially so the pipeline is primed and ready to go when you finish a keg.

I leave my bigger beers in carboys to bulk condition for no less that 3-6 months. They really improve if you can wait that long.

**Revvy** · 09-06-2008, 02:23 PM

I have to say I'm impressed, it's not often we get someone new (ish) on here touting the benefits of waiting!

Obviously it's better to wait, but getting a new brewer not to sample the beer and start a new is my beer ruined thread, is a goal that many of us subscribe to, so we try to get them to at least wait out the minimum...

It's something that tends to only occurr in the beginning of a homebrewer's "career."

I think once you have a pipleine going it's really easy to let beers sit longer, because you have more to choose from, and you have beer at different stages of, so there's always something about to be drinkable.

Cugel · 09-06-2008, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revvy

but getting a new brewer not to sample the beer and start a new is my beer ruined thread, is a goal that many of us subscribe to, so we try to get them to at least wait out the minimum...

It's something that tends to only occurr in the beginning of a homebrewer's "career."

I agree, and that's why a beginner homebrewer should brew like mad for the first 6 months or so. Initially I made some quick finish brews so I could start in on them and then work on the pipeline. I made a mild and a hefe... both tasted good young. But the mild got much better after about 2 months in the keg.

**dracus** · 02-07-2010, 11:07 PM

I know I have been brewing a batch every week since October. To say I have beer coming out my ears is an understatement. I've been forced to "wait" mostly because well, I only drink a few beers a week(mostly on brew day) and well that doesn't put much of a dent in the 5gallon batch.

I know everyone touts waiting, but seriously. I always drink one 7 days or so after bottling to test carbonation level. Each one of the beers has been AWESOME. I'm always surprised in fact that they are as good as they are. The only two beers I've even remotely felt waiting made a huge difference on yuri's thunderstuck, and an omegang clone. The thunderstruck well had a bunch of spices in it and the omegang was a bit over the top estery (mostly because I fermented it a bit warm). Both were solid drinkable after they were carbed up.

I guess I must not be picky or something. I've yet to have a beer that has some how went through some magical transmutation from bad/green/undrinkable to amazing 3/4 weeks later.

I have seen improvements mind you but many people speak of this conditioning period likes its some alchemical process like turning lead into gold.

I have always done at least 3 weeks in the primary maybe I'm getting my aging and conditioning that way.

So to answer the question: Yes that good after 3 weeks.

HI_SALENITY · 02-08-2010, 12:59 AM

I just tried a beer I kegged 1 week ago and it was pretty good . In fact I thought it was closer to being "ready" than one of my other batches that I kegged 3 weeks ago .
I think it has a lot to do with the fact that it stayed in the primary for 4 weeks before it was kegged and the yeast "cleaned" it up.

**tom777** · 02-08-2010, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revvy

It's something that tends to only occurr in the beginning of a homebrewer's "career."

I think once you have a pipleine going it's really easy to let beers sit longer, because you have more to choose from, and you have beer at different stages of, so there's always something about to be drinkable.

I can attest to this. After the first few batches I've had no troubles waiting. Having 10+ different homebrewed beers to choose from makes it much easier.

Lately it seems I end up bottling the beers and forgetting about them. Speaking of which -- I have an "Extra Pale Ale" 22 days in the bottle today. Better put one in the fridge

andrew300 · 02-08-2010, 09:35 PM

i just brewed a cream ale with a lager yeast and it was fairly drinkable at 2 weeks (63 degrees), but got really good between 3-4 weeks.