When to start drinking?

I have read the stickies, read blogs, read my instructions, yada yada yada and can't get a clear answer to the question of when can I start drinking my first batch?

Everything turned out great and aside from all of the cleaning that you have to do I was pretty surprised at how easy the process is, but I want to try the "fruits of my labor" and don't know how long I have to wait. Any help?

depends on the type of beer...2-3 weeks in the bottle it should be carbed up.
then I would try one...it will taste better with age

crash1292 said:

depends on the type of beer...2-3 weeks in the bottle it should be carbed up.
then I would try one...it will taste better with age

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It's a brown ale. Most places that I was seeing said 2-3 weeks, but one blog that I read said let it sit for a week and it should be good. I had never heard that so that's why I was wondering

Welcome to the forum from a fellow Iowan. I assume that you are talking about the brown ale in your profile. I would say start drinking 3 weeks after bottling. It will probably peak in flavor at about 6 weeks.

Some times it will be carbonated after about a week but the flavor needs to mature. If you did a 5 gallon batch you have plenty of bottles so if curiosity is getting the best of you, just slip one in the fridge and give it a try. If it tastes good then it's ready. Remember it's your brew and it's ready when you say it is.

I'd agree with the general consensus that about three weeks in the bottle should be good, but since this is your first batch I would say put a bottle in the fridge after a week for at least 24 hours then drink it. I would do this at week two and at week three. This way you can get a feel for what a young/green beer may taste like and then get an appreciation for conditioning your beer.

I don't touch my beers til it's been a minimum 3 weeks in the bottle...to me drinking green beer is a waste of beer, and since we know that it takes a minimum of 3 weeks for a normal beer to carb and condition, the barest amount I wait is 3 weeks.

+1 DP This way when you have your doubts about something or other in a future batch you'll know what to expect with time.

B

I usually try one at 1 week. 2-3 weeks I'm rocking the new brew.

thamessenjah said:

I have read the stickies, read blogs, read my instructions, yada yada yada and can't get a clear answer to the question of when can I start drinking my first batch?

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Don't even think about trying it before 9AM! If you try it before then, non-homebrewers will think you have a "problem".

Definitely- after 9AM!

It is your first brew man, you will drink it too fast and the last one will be the best one and you will lament the fact that it is gone!!! Its the way it works, so roll with it. You know what the solution is right? BREW MORE BEER

Welcome to your new obsession

3 weeks... wow! I always drink my first bottle after 7-10 days. Out of 14 batches, I have never had a beer that isn't carbed after a week. It may sound amazing, but I have also had beers carbed after 2-3 days in the bottle. If I have a heavy beer that needs conditioning, I leave it in the primary for an appropriate length of time.

I think an equally important question is "when should you start the second batch" and the answer is NOW. Don't wait until you're almost out of beer because it will take a month to get more!

I was told that I shouldn't start drinking before 5 o'clock but then I was in Key West and heard the singer singing "it's 5 o'clock somewhere" and thought, yeah I guess it is.

I like to open one at a week just to see what I created. Usually I think "Bleah" and wait another week before trying again. Sometimes I have a lot left when they get good, sometimes they are mostly gone when they hit their prime. Maybe someday I'll learn to wait.

i try all mine at week 1. only 1 though i usually only have 1 a week for the first 2-5 weeks.

thamessenjah said:

I have read the stickies, read blogs, read my instructions, yada yada yada and can't get a clear answer to the question of when can I start drinking my first batch?

Everything turned out great and aside from all of the cleaning that you have to do I was pretty surprised at how easy the process is, but I want to try the "fruits of my labor" and don't know how long I have to wait. Any help?

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First batch, so you have to see it progress. Drink the first one at 1 week. Then open one every 3 days. You'll see how it progresses. Some will say never open them early, but this is an important part of the appreciation phase. First batches are all about learning. Don't miss out on an important lesson. You'll brew a lot more beer. This batch is special. Prost!

Hmmmmm... when to start drinking?

I say start drinking about 7 AM, that's a good time to have a nice malty brew with some fried eggs!

Yooper said:

Don't even think about trying it before 9AM! If you try it before then, non-homebrewers will think you have a "problem".

Definitely- after 9AM!

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if golf, fishing, or football are involved 1/2 hour after waking up works. If you are going to drink all day, you have to start early!

buffalobrewer said:

if golf, fishing, or football are involved 1/2 hour after waking up works. If you are going to drink all day, you have to start early!

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What if you wake up at 9:30? Then there doesn't have to be any activity involved to drink