conditioning

I have a brew that I fermented for three weeks and transferred to a keg. I immediately put it in the frig. I guess I should have left it out for a few weeks. Now it tastes pretty good but isn't changing the way I would like.

Leave it in the frig and just let it take time if it ever will or take it out and let it sit for a while?

It doesn't have any off flavors per say but it doesn't taste as I think it should. Its and IPA that the local brew store put together for me. An extract brew.

I must say, the best IPA I've made was a Mr Beer IPA called American Devil.

If you left it in the primary fermenter for 3 weeks sitting on the yeast cake, that can contribute to off flavors.

Once the keg is cold, I don't move it back out again until it's gone. It should age ok in the keg and I the fridge. Make sure your temps aren't Arctic too, as too cold and it mutes flavors present in a beer.

It will continue to condition at cold temperatures. Just not as fast as warm temps. If it doesn't have off flavors like acetaldehyde (apple) or diacetyl (butter) then leaving on the yeast longer really would not have mattered much. Let it sit in the keg cold for a few weeks. Make sure its carbed up properly. The flavors should meld over a few weeks.

Did you naturally carbonate or use gas? If you used sugar to carb, it really should sit in room temperature for about 2 weeks.
I'm an IPA nut and snob and can't say that Am. Devil IPA was all that great. Not bad but of course, tastes vary. I find that I had to add malt and hops to it ti make it good for my taste.

OK thanks. But since yo brought it up, I thought I had read that 3 weeks was the minimum for good beer, that the extra time helped reduce the off flavors. So two weeks or three? Also, what temp do you ferment your ales at? I can keep it pretty reliably down to 64 or 65. Would that help hold down off flavors? I really haven't had but one that had a real off flavor. It was banana ester which went away with conditioning. And since I'm on it, what is the best tasting extract brand? Will al grain be that much better?

@ Beerlord, thanks for the input. I love the IPA's too. Whats your favorite? Any good extract IPA's? The American Devil is just the better of the ones I've made. I'm sure I have about 99% improvement to go.

Oh yes, I carbonated with CO2.

One week in primary than two weeks in a keg should be fine. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/aging-beer-facts-myths-discussion-84005/
You can always dry hop it if its not quite tasting right. Also don't worry about it sitting on the yeast cake because it sounds like you have been tasting the beer, so most of the yeast cake should have flushed out.

DrVertebrae said:

OK thanks. But since yo brought it up, I thought I had read that 3 weeks was the minimum for good beer, that the extra time helped reduce the off flavors. So two weeks or three? Also, what temp do you ferment your ales at? I can keep it pretty reliably down to 64 or 65. Would that help hold down off flavors? I really haven't had but one that had a real off flavor. It was banana ester which went away with conditioning. And since I'm on it, what is the best tasting extract brand? Will al grain be that much better?

Click to expand...

1) primary for 10 days, then rack to secondary. Leave in secondary 2-3 weeks

2) I don't monitor my temps religiously. Anywhere from 68-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Temps only really affect how active or inactive yeast is (I.e. how long to totally ferment)

3) tastes vary a lot. When I extract brew I use what my lhbs can provide (coopers or their own house brand). I BIAB all grain now and love it. It adds time to my brew day but it's enjoyable to me. Makes great beer, but then again you can make equally if not better beer with extract. I've seen a lot of top notch extract brews, and is a totally legitimate art.

DrVertebrae said:

OK thanks. But since yo brought it up, I thought I had read that 3 weeks was the minimum for good beer, that the extra time helped reduce the off flavors. So two weeks or three? Also, what temp do you ferment your ales at? I can keep it pretty reliably down to 64 or 65. Would that help hold down off flavors? I really haven't had but one that had a real off flavor. It was banana ester which went away with conditioning. And since I'm on it, what is the best tasting extract brand? Will al grain be that much better?

Click to expand...

i'm not sure where all this info about short primaries is coming from in this thread. at least three weeks is great for primary. extract can make as good beer as all grain.

NCangler17 said:

1) primary for 10 days, then rack to secondary. Leave in secondary 2-3 weeks

2) I don't monitor my temps religiously. Anywhere from 68-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Temps only really affect how active or inactive yeast is (I.e. how long to totally ferment)

3) tastes vary a lot. When I extract brew I use what my lhbs can provide (coopers or their own house brand). I BIAB all grain now and love it. It adds time to my brew day but it's enjoyable to me. Makes great beer, but then again you can make equally if not better beer with extract. I've seen a lot of top notch extract brews, and is a totally legitimate art.

Click to expand...

Wow so let's start with number 1
1) the debate is constant on whether or not a secondary is even required. It is well known that a longer primary of a month or less will not negatively impact your beer. Some say it's not needed, others say it improves clarity and decreases the time needed for aging.. Blah blah blah. Regardless do not rack a beer to a secondary until primary fermentation is complete and you are near your FG. There is no magic number of days. 10 days may be way too short a time with higher gravity beers or if brewing at lower temps.

2) temps are second only to sanitation. Higher fermenting temperatures can lead to a variety of off flavors. Esters (fruity/banana flavor) and fusel alcohols (hot flavor, also high amounts of fusels tend to give brutal hangovers) to name the two main ones. Unless you are aiming for the esters keep the fermentation at the low end of the temp scale for whatever yeast you are using.

3) yes

DrVertebrae said:

Will al grain be that much better?

Click to expand...

not necessarily. People on here continuously make great beers with extract and others make crap beers with AG. It comes down to process. With a good recipe and good process you can make a great brew either way. AG just gives you more control and more ways to influence the process.

DrVertebrae said:

OK thanks. But since yo brought it up, I thought I had read that 3 weeks was the minimum for good beer, that the extra time helped reduce the off flavors. So two weeks or three?

Click to expand...

Dangit missed this part.
It depends on the beer. Certain beers are meant to be cloudy, they should be bottles as soon as fermentation is complete. Super High gravity beers can benefit from bulk aging in secondary for months at a time. I think everyone agrees on those two points. It's when you start talking about everything else you hit a difference of opinion. I personally do not secondary. I leave beers in primary for 3-4 weeks (but have gone as long as 6). I even dry hop in the primary. For me it's a matter of space and time. I have to BBs I use to ferment in. I have room in my fermentation chamber for 2 BBs. I also don't want to figure out what crazy whacked out brew schedule I'd have to follow to not need the second bottle to secondary in but can't cause I just brewed a stout the previous week. That an I don't want to risk oxidation by racking the beer more often than needed. I see no reason to secondary. All my beers have been crystal clear without one. Even if I dry hopped in the primary.

Interesting the differences of opinion and experiences. When you dry hop do you do anything to prepeare the hops?

+ 1 for Draken's post.

All of my ales sit in primary at 64 to 68 F for 21 days minimum before I do the first test for FG. Then if at FG into a cooler room at 50 for 7 days then bottle or dry hop and another 7 days then into the bottle. I secondary only those beers I intend to bulk age and that is where my glass carboys are used long term (as in 3 months or more) aging. Any thing else I age in bottles in a 50F chamber after 21 days 70F to carbonate.

Extract can make great beers and so can all grain. I have done both with good results.

just my $0.02

Edit: excuse for a moment it is time for my first decoction

+1 Draken

I primary a total of 4 weeks with my last 7-10 dry hopped. Then I bottle condition at about the same temp of 66 for another 2-6 weeks depending on the brew. I BIAB or partial mash and they come out great.

Welp, I'll be changing how I do things now. But with beer around, patience is not one of my virtues.

DrVertebrae said:

Interesting the differences of opinion and experiences. When you dry hop do you do anything to prepeare the hops?

Click to expand...

Wash my hands, sanitize the bag or vacuum sealed pouch the hops are in and the scissors I plan on using to open said bag. Then dump.. So nope.