Aging Beer correctly

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sdochughes

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Hi folks,

I have a question about aging beer. How is it that many craft breweries can go from grain to glass in 3 weeks, while home-brew forums recommend aging most ales (sours and high gravity excluded from this question)for a month to a month and a half? I talked with guy the other day that said he wont even taste anything that's under a month and a half. Why the big difference between the craft brewing industry and home-brewing?
Cheers!
 
I don't know. I'm routinely drinking my beers at 2-3 weeks old except for lagers, sours, Belgian tripels, etc.

I guess that if there are off-flavors created, aging the beer might reduce those? That's the only thing I can think of.
 
One reason I can think of is many of us bottle condition and that takes 2-5 weeks just to carbonate the beer.

Another reason is that commercial brewers have prefect process control so off flavors are not present.

A third reason is commercial breweries filter their beer so they don't need time to settle and clear like hombrews.
 
If a homebrewer has decent control of all the processes, especially ferm temp and pitch rate, there's really no reason why you shouldn't be able to have good, drinkable beer in 2 or 3 weeks, assuming we're talking normal gravity beers that are not meant to be aged. If ferm temps are not controlled well or too little healthy yeast was pitched, there are likely to be off-flavors created that may condition out in time, so in those situations a longer aging time might be necessary.

Edit: I should clarify that what I said above applies to kegging. Add another 3 weeks or more for bottle conditioning.
 
LLBeanJ said:
If a homebrewer has decent control of all the processes, especially ferm temp and pitch rate, there's really no reason why you shouldn't be able to have good, drinkable beer in 2 or 3 weeks, assuming we're talking normal gravity beers that are not meant to be aged. If ferm temps are not controlled well or too little healthy yeast was pitched, there are likely to be off-flavors created that may condition out in time, so in those situations a longer aging time might be necessary.

Edit: I should clarify that what I said above applies to kegging. Add another 3 weeks or more for bottle conditioning.

+1
If you brew your beer using best practice and have complete control over the entire process there is no reason to keep the beer in primary or use secondary for 3-4 weeks because it is just wasted time

I can usually pull a beer within 2 weeks and package it. Yes, I do brew some larger beers that take awhile to properly condition but most session able and proffered fresh beers are all being consumed within a month from brew day easily and some actually are gone by the time the month is over:D
 
Some guys wait longer because of clarity. Many breweries filter, so they don't need to wait. It is also possible since breweries often have more precise control of their ferm temps they don't have to wait as long for the yeast to clean up after themselves. Even with all this I believe many guys think they have to wait much longer than actually needed. I have a stout that I make regularly that is always ready to bottle in 2 weeks--though most of my medium to low gravity ales take 3 to 4 weeks. I also make Wee Heavies, Imperial Stouts and Old Ales that I regularly age for six months or more (though this is usually bottle aging). Since I prefer dark beers clarity is seldom a major issue, but when it is I let it sit for about two weeks in primary and then rack to secondary with isinglass, where it sits for the next two weeks. When the fermentation is done and the beer is clean and clear (as appropriate to style) package it.
 
I'm with Yooper. I don't know what a lot of these guys here are waiting for. Almost all of my ales finish in 2 weeks of primary. Then I bottle it (so I have to wait 2 more weeks). Some of my ales age well but most are best when young.
 
I agree with most here and am happy to see a good move toward this line of thinking - I know I've discussed it with Yooper many times before!

The advice given here for month-long primaries is because lots of homebrewers (moreso those just getting their feet wet) aren't really brewing great beer to begin with re: yeast health and fermentation temperatures. Get these factors under control and you'll be packaging most normal beer around week 2 as well.
 
Re: yeast health, when using dry yeast, are you two-weekers rehydrating or sprinkling from the packet?

I know I've got greenish-taste issues with most beers younger than a month. Then again, I very seldom brew worts under 1.060, which I'm guessing is also a factor, and my last several have also been fairly dark (porters, red ales, strong Scotch ales, barleywines).

I do keg, and I am tasting a three-and-a-half-week old Bee Cave/EdWort's IPA tonight. We'll see how I did! Used 2 packets of US-05, sprinkled.

-Rich
 
Echoloc8 said:
Re: yeast health, when using dry yeast, are you two-weekers rehydrating or sprinkling from the packet?

I know I've got greenish-taste issues with most beers younger than a month. Then again, I very seldom brew worts under 1.060, which I'm guessing is also a factor, and my last several have also been fairly dark (porters, red ales, strong Scotch ales, barleywines).

I do keg, and I am tasting a three-and-a-half-week old Bee Cave/EdWort's IPA tonight. We'll see how I did! Used 2 packets of US-05, sprinkled.

-Rich

It's all about yeast health, proper care and pitch rate and then moves to temperature control

Use fresh yeast, if dry-rehydrate, if liquid make starters.

Use a pitch rate calculator like yeast calc or mr malty to ensure you are pitching the right amount of yeast

Pitch slightly colder than desired Ferm temp and allow to rise

Maintain proper Ferm temp throughout active fermentation

Allow Ample time to drop bright-clear

If you do all things things well you are handsomely rewarded!
 
I'm in the two week primary crowd and every beer I have ever entered into comp has earned me a medal. The only beer that needed to age for me to enjoy was my milk stout that used too much black patent that I discovered I don't care for at all with that particular brew. If you control your temps and pitch the right amount of yeast there is no reason at all to let a beer sit in primary for a month.
 
Commercial brewers need to move their beer fast for economic reasons that don't apply to me at all. The commercial guy's fermenter is a big investment. Not just the tank but the space, utilities, etc. those are fixed costs, hit his beer cost as overhead. If he can get an extra batch out every other month, his overhead per unit drops and his margins improve.

Unlike a commercial brewer, fermentation capacity is not my bottleneck. There is a real limit to how much beer I can package, store and consume. If anything my bottling capacity is more of an issue than my fermentation capacity, as right now I've got 7 fermenters. 4 buckets and 3 x 5 gal carboys. Oh and a 5 gallon oak cask makes 8... But I've only got enough bottles for about 6 batches.

So yes I pitch big yeast, aerate my wort (i'm still a splasher but am sure will add O2 soon enough) control temp, but fail to understand the hurry to get the beer out of primary. And the advantage of accepting a somewhat longer than bare minimum required fermentation is real. I don't watch my beer, checking gravity samples waiting for 3 days in a row with no change. I schedule bottling at a convenient time, about 3 weeks after pitching, usually at least 10 days after end of visible signs of fermentation, and then leave the beer alone.

I don't hurry the bottles. 3 weeks at 70 degrees is my born on date. So I'm 6 weeks grain to glass for most beers, and while I've not entered competitions I'm quite pleased with my product.
 
eric19312 said:
I don't watch my beer, checking gravity samples waiting for 3 days in a row with no change. I schedule bottling at a convenient time, about 3 weeks after pitching, usually at least 10 days after end of visible signs of fermentation, and then leave the beer alone.

Im with you on this. I have a set process that I adhere to for most of my beers, mainly because its what Ive always done (aint broke, dont need to fix it, and Im not in a hurry - I still enjoy a lot of commercial brews. Especially living in Seattle, there are a ton of micro breweries opening every year). Anyway, im in no rush. I milk my beers anyway. Im the guy who keeps an IPA for 4 months because im sad it'll be gone (I also dont have an abundance of time to brew it again, and I like to brew something new every time). All that to say, different strokes :)
 
Professional breweries have much better control of the process. Hit the right amount of yeast (which is often pitched from one cylindroconical fermenter to the next while still in active fermentation state/readiness), oxygenate well, control the fermentation temp perfectly, filter, keg/package carbonated speeds things up. Homebrewers rarely control all the variables as well as pros. Also, professionals generally are making the same recipes over and over and have them well understood compared to us homebrewers making varying styles/recipes often. As has been mentioned, if a homebrewer controls things well, and repeats recipes over and over too, they can finish beers quickly.
 
I force carb, filter and carb. I usually drink my ales within 3 weeks. Sometimes if I feel they are a little green, I give them another 1-2 weeks to hang around and condition. I have talked with so many homebrewers lately that say they leave their beer in the fermenter for up to a month! Crazy! Unless your doing secondary or aging on some addition, this just doesn't make sense to me. Thanks guys
 
MY DIPAs like to hang around awhile before popping tops, 6-8 weeks at least. I'm just using one now that is a little over 10 weeks and 12 won't hurt them any. My PAs are at a stage I really like for them starting at 3-4 weeks. They go too quickly sometimes, being just so easy to drink after a long day.
 
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