Another great example of what time does to a beer.

About 9 months ago I made a belgian white. Brew day went great, fermented right on schedule, but when I bottled I think i mixed the sanitizer solution incorrectly. When I tasted the beer in 3 weeks after it carbed up it tasted like soap. I read Revvy's thread about how time is the brewers friend and can clear up a lot of mistakes. So I took the beer and stuck it in a dark corner. Of course I forgot about it. It just so happens I stumbled upon it yesterday morning while I was cleaning up the basement and thought " what the heck, lets try one. I threw one in the fridge and let it chill for 24 hours. I just cracked it open and the beer is fantastic. No soap flavor what so ever. Its just amazing what time can do to a beer. So back to Revvy's rule "Never dump your beer". Definitely words of wisdom.

I did a 9% double IPA which was undrinkable. I put it away for 4 months and it was outstanding. It was the first beer I've made that (in my less than modest opinion) stands up against commercial examples. As a result I've purchased more corny's and I'm starting a pipeline. Nothing gets tapped until it's conditioned for 4 months.

I'm glad that both of you had good experiences with aging beer, but the styles you guys put away are both really not the type you should be aging. Wits and IPAs are both best when they're served fresh. While I agree that time can heal a lot of wounds, I don't think that it is best practice for a number of styles.

carnevoodoo said:

I'm glad that both of you had good experiences with aging beer, but the styles you guys put away are both really not the type you should be aging. Wits and IPAs are both best when they're served fresh. While I agree that time can heal a lot of wounds, I don't think that it is best practice for a number of styles.

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As is Vinnie Cilurzo's recommendation for maximum hop aroma (and I following his sage advice religiously). In practice though I've found that higher gravity brews just need the extra time regardless of style. Vinnie puts a date on his Pliny bottles and I've never managed to pick one up that's been in the bottle for less than 2 months. It would be interesting to know how long microbrews typically cold store their beer after packaging before it goes to the distributor for each style.

spiny_norman said:

It would be interesting to know how long microbrews typically cold store their beer after packaging before it goes to the distributor for each style.

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I am probably wrong, but I don't think they cold store them much at all. the cost of the real estate would be pretty prohibitive, not to mention temperature control.


Its kind of funny, I just posted about aging homebrews for a while before getting rid of them. I didn't see this thread, and I can't say that I have read Revvy's either. I will have to check it out.

carnevoodoo said:

Wits and IPAs are both best when they're served fresh.

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I agree with the wit example. Probably tasted like a great beer...but might have veered off it's designated character.

However, four months in my book is peak timing for an IIPA. My Tits-Up was 9 months in the keg when it placed 2nd out of 25 entries in category 14 beers this winter.

Agreed, the wit is out of style, but it went from undrinkable to pleasant, which I'm ok with. Yeasties are incredible little creatures.