How much beer do you keep in reserve?

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sportscrazed2

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I'm usually a 1 or 2 beer a night kind of guy. I really enjoy homebrewing but when do you say enoughs enough and drink all the stuff you have in reserve before you brew more? After my next batch is done and bottled i'll probably have about 90 bottles in reserve. i'll probably wait until i get down to around 30 or so before brewing another batch
 
I don't worry about how much I have, only how many open fermenters I'm about to have. When one is empty on the upcoming weekend, I plan a brew. When I have beers that I need to bulk age or secondary to dry hop or add fruit to it's a bonus because then I have even MORE full fermenters.

When I have too much finished beer I give some bottles away or throw a party to empty kegs.
 
I brew 10 gallons every month, sometimes 15. Homebrew seems to go pretty quickly, so I like to make sure I have enough. Right now, I have about 14 cases at various stages of aging.
 
yeah my only concern is storage space. i started another batch before my first was even done carbonating.
 
Unfortunately i have none drank all of it up and have not been able to brew due to multiple surgeries
 
Sounds like it's time for you to brew a big beer, something that needs aging. Maybe make two batches like that. Let me help you out. Batch one, Belgian Dark Strong, shoot for 10% ABV as a bare minimum. Batch two, Barleywine, American or English it's up to you. You'll want this one to land somewhere in the 13% range. Use the recipe database here for inspiration. I hope you have secondarys for these because after two-four months of primarying these two you'll just about be ready to brew your normal beers again. Bottle them after you do three more batches and thank me a year from now.
 
23 cases, a little less then a case in the fridge, and 4 cornies worth. Also have about 22 gallons in fermenters.
Tom
 
Now that I have a Keg System I always have one under pressure and in reserve, then I have a 6 pack in storage of my last 3 or 4 brews for handing out to those who want to try. Any thing to never run out.
 
nah. One of the kegs is a Belgium that is going to sit until Christmas 2011. My wife is having a 30th birthday party for me the beginning of November and the following week we are having a poker tournament, so most of the remainder will be gone after that.
tom
 
lol true that. i kind of want to brew a barley wine but it takes too long ill just buy some of the three floyds barley wine when it comes out.
 
I've never done a barleywine myself yet. I will do one, just not sure when. It helps to have a fair amount of carboys (I have 9 now) and kegs. I just got into kegging recently so I only have 6 five gallon cornies. I want to get atleast three times that many to do more aging.
Tom
 
I brew 2.5 gallon batches 3-6 times a month. I have five 3 gallon Better Bottles. I like the smaller amount, because it works for me in many ways: unless I'm brewing over 7%ABV I do a no-sparge mash, and that gets me done in about three hours, including clean_up; 2.5g is a lot lighter to carry; I can brew more and different beers without building up a huge supply that I can't really store, when I brew it cost under $20 annd I don't really worry about saving pennies with a small amount.
Oops! I guess I missed the question of the OP. I have no more than three cases in reserve at any given time, and I save one 22oz archive bottle for about a year then have a Drink the Archives party. I haven't brewed anything over 7% yet, so nothing has had to be aged that long.
 
I stow some, drink some, bring some back out, & surprise some friends with last years cider or High Gravity beers... depends... on average usually have 50 to 75 in reserve of mixed high gravity stuff, meads, and sessions.
I Took 5 gallons of a session beer on a camp out (cream ale) drank 3/4 keg or more no prob! WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE... burn off the sessions!. will be kegging every 3rd batch of sessions to keep on draft and take camping and to parties from here on!!!

Sessions like pales, browns & milds are fast drinkers. I try to kill those in 6 months or less. ( a few beers a night, plus house dart night give a ways and shooting the **** with neighbors.) If 100 beers under the sink I start to give away a bunch... Christmas is a good time. I'm always stocked if some one brings a gift and I have nothing! 6pack of home brew says "I love ya!"

I'm Putting down a 5gal batch of cider this week to ferm. hope to make it last a year... stretched 2.5 gallons 8 months But I want more!!! It was goodness in a glass.

Olde ale is coming out of secondary in November to carb up... should have that 50 bottles for several years if it's good!!!! Brett goodness... will break a few bottles of 12% goodness 5 times a year.... Christmas, new years, thanksgiving, Bday, and divorce anniversary!
 
I have currently have ready to drink:

12- Oktoberfest Style Ales
30- Chocolate Coffee Stouts
6- wine bottles of Apfelwein

I have 10 Gallons I bottled a week ago:

50- Carbed Apfelwein
48- Vanilla Bourbon Stout

I currently have 5 gallons of Double Chocolate Stout that has been in the Primary for 2 weeks now and should be ready to bottle in another week or two. Planning to brew again on sunday.
 
Since I keg the rule is simple: float one, brew one. Generally, I only have one keg conditioning and 2-3 online. I also have wine and ciders in kegs, but mostly I use party taps on them.
 
Ha ha, this is a funny question to me as I have three sons in the ranch house in their twenties. No matter how much we brew, we are always buying beer.

We have to actually bury beer to save it for a year. Unless it's nasty of course like the 2007 vintage corn stalk beer. Or the 2008 Dandylion near wine, etc.
 
I keep four kegs on tap, and I always like to have two fermenting. Plus I have a few long term aging. With three small kids, I never know when I might not get a chance to brew for a while. For now I can get it done every 3-4 weeks, and if that happens to build up a backlog, I'll take care of that when the time comes.
 
Generally, between 50 and 70 gallons in kegs. Six kegs in the kegerator (four on tap) and the rest bulk aging.

Also, there is usually about 10 gallons fermenting.

:mug:
 
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