RM-MN

Recipes 

The real question should be, "Do you want it fast or do you want it good?" I've brewed a porter and a stout and it takes more than a week to get them good. In fact, it takes longer than 3 weeks too.

stp

Recipes 

I know everyone that posted before me has more experience but I'm more of the attitude of do whatever you want to do and make your own decisions about it. This is a hobby after all.

I really like all the tips and experience I get from these boards but there are certain things you want to learn on your own and I think this is one of them. You just brewed your own beer. Want to try one? Awesome, try one.

My second batch has been bottled for a week and I tried one. And it was good. Not great but good. It certainly got me excited about what it will taste like in the future. Am I sorry I tried it because it will mean I have one less beer in the case three weeks from now? That's one of the silliest things I've heard. If that last bottle makes me wish there were more, guess what, I'll brew another batch.

If you decide to wait 3 weeks to try one now, or in ten batches from now (or never) who's to say that's not cool? But I think it's important to come to that decision yourself.

Just my inexperienced 2 cents.

BmillaTheBrewzilla

Recipes 

Obviously bottle conditioned beers get exponentially better with a little wait time. Revvy's advice about being patient is wise indeed. That said, I've had lower gravity, paler beers that were damn good after two weeks of bottle conditioning. They probably peaked after three weeks. Stouts and porters, however, are definitely MUCH better with a little time.

thetmaxx

Recipes 

I tried my Pale ale that I brewed from a kit yesterday, Which is one week in the bottle, and was very relieved to hear that is was carbonated and had great head. I was amazingly disappointed to find that it tasted horrible. No Hop flavor, and tasted like bad bread and yeasty. UGG.

So I hear some people say after a week it should taste somewhat like it will finish... Is there hope it will be better in 2 weeks?

BmillaTheBrewzilla

Recipes 

They tend to get noticeably better in taste after a few weeks of bottle conditioning vs. just one week. I had a beer taste pretty disappointing when I tried it after one week once, but then it cleaned up, carbed properly, and tasted great after a couple more weeks. If there is something significantly wrong with how it was brewed or fermented or bottled, then a couple weeks probably won't do much... but it certainly is possible (likely) for a beer's flavor to improve a lot with more bottle conditioning. Good luck!