Something for all beginners to do.

**Athos56** · 02-04-2012, 07:17 AM

I just enjoyed one bottle from each of my first three beers that I ever brewed. They had sat in the back of my fridge for around two months, or more. I suggest saving a beer from each of your brews and doing this, its interesting to see how they age. Each had significant chill haze when I drank them at two or three weeks old. Each beer had cleared right up after a few more weeks in the fridge. Anyway, it was a fun exercise and I'm now a believer in letting beers age a bit.

**starrfish** · 02-04-2012, 07:21 AM

yup, hard to do once you start kegging, but started sugar carbing a keg to get a pipeline going and like results better.

nanofreak · 02-04-2012, 08:28 AM

My first batch I drank over about two months. When I got to the last 3 bottles I was really kicking myself for how quick I drank it. It really came together at that point.

I try to put aside a six pack from every brew now for a few months after the rest are gone.

**BamaRooster** · 02-04-2012, 10:41 AM

Time, especially on darker beers, can have an amazing effect.

**JonM** · 02-04-2012, 12:23 PM

I do small batches (25-32 bottles per batch) and I've started to let them sit for two months before even trying that first one. Even IPAs which are supposed to be consumed "fresh.' Stouts get even longer.

When they hit the two month mark, they are awesome - wonderful flavor, crystal clear, big fluffy head that lasts and lasts, etc. Every time I try a two month old beer, if I drank half or 3/4 of the batch before it hit its prime, it's such a disappointment because it feels like I wasted all that beer by drinking it before it was ready.

Edit: The batch that really got me was my Pliny clone, made from the "official" recipe. I started drinking it at about 3-4 weeks in the bottles. Over the course of the next couple weeks and months, the flavor changed SO much. By about 3 months in the bottles, it was a completely different beer. Right around the time I had only 2 or 3 left, I got some real Pliny for the first time. Had to try the real thing and mine side by side. The aged Pliny, which was so different from what it was after one month in the bottles, was spot-on identical to the real thing. And that's when I had that Eureka! moment that beers do well with a couple months of aging. Cheers!

**theonetrueruss** · 02-04-2012, 04:29 PM

definitely.. I had a 15% abv IPA last October in a keg. It was good then. I bottled off a 6 pack to save. Had a couple in Nov then waited and last night drank one and it was super awesome perfect. Sad I only have 2 left. Should have bottled up a lot more and saved them for a couple months. Granted- the hop aroma is greatly lessened so I'd want to have some fresh for that experience but save most for the more refined taste that aging gives.

**BigPoppa502** · 02-04-2012, 04:41 PM

I'm only 5 batches in and only have a 12 pack left of my KiltLifter Clone that was my first attempt. I agree that it has only gotten better with time. I brewed this batch Thanksgiving weekend... About how long is too long to keep this one around? I know there's no exacting answer to this, but does anyone have a rule of thumb? 80/20 rule?

**Athos56** · 02-05-2012, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigPoppa502

I'm only 5 batches in and only have a 12 pack left of my KiltLifter Clone that was my first attempt. I agree that it has only gotten better with time. I brewed this batch Thanksgiving weekend... About how long is too long to keep this one around? I know there's no exacting answer to this, but does anyone have a rule of thumb? 80/20 rule?

I'm not sure... Beer never lasts that long around me

**RM-MN** · 02-05-2012, 01:44 PM

I'm still drinking bottles of my stout that was brewed nearly a year and a half ago and they still taste good so I still don't know how long is too long.

I do know that the APA that I bottled this last November is beginning to lose some of the hop aroma though.

**suprchunk** · 02-05-2012, 04:49 PM

I drank the last of a RIS a couple years ago - the beer was over five years old at the time. It was the best beer I ever had. Of course it always is when you have the last bottle. I have half a case of 10 year old barleywine I'll be drinking once I get back to the states. Can't wait to see how that one is doing.