My rules

Writing down my rules (penance for breaking them too often).

Starting from brew day:

1. Never pass judgement on a beer before it is 6 weeks old.
2. Never give away beer before it is 6 weeks old.
3. Never post describing a beer before it is 6 weeks old.

Basically, I find myself not liking beers that i sample too early only to find they are awesome after proper aging. Sometimes I give away beer before it is properly aged because people ask for it and it is all I have. Then I am embarrassed. I also have broken rule #3 on more than one occasion only to have to go back and correct my post.

My beers, primarily pale ales and blondes, usually hit their prime after 6-7 weeks.

I think there's something else going on here. three rules all built on the number 6? "this contact lens represents you. my eye... represents my eye. I got my eye *squish* on you."

O snapple...

One more rule: never start a new thread on Friday night. We are all drunk!

I'm not! We just drove 10 hours, and are in a motel in the middle of nowhere. So, I'm only on my third beer.

I read your rules, though, and I'm glad those aren't my rules. If I had to wait 6 weeks to try/share a beer, I'd die of thirst!

Yooper said:

I'm not! We just drove 10 hours, and are in a motel in the middle of nowhere. So, I'm only on my third beer.

I read your rules, though, and I'm glad those aren't my rules. If I had to wait 6 weeks to try/share a beer, I'd die of thirst!

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I didn't say you couldn't try your beer. But every time I share my beer early I regret it. Maybe I am just hyper critical of my own beer...

Stay thirsty my friend.

Good lord! If I waited six weeks, there are several of my beers I'd never get to taste at all!

I saw this old thread today. I am the OP. I was always confused by the responses I got.

With the 1-2-3 rule (1 week primary, 2 weeks secondary, 3 weeks bottle/keg) I would have thought more people would wait 1+2+3= 6 weeks to drink their beer.

I usually do 2-3 weeks in primary then 3-4 in keg (which is also totals to 6 weeks) before I pass judgement on a beer.

My original post said I resolve to wait 6 weeks from BREW DAY before passing judgement. That is all I was saying.

Maybe I chose the wrong beer birthday. Maybe you all were thinking 6 weeks from bottling?

alestateyall said:

I saw this old thread today. I am the OP. I was always confused by the responses I got.

With the 1-2-3 rule (1 week primary, 2 weeks secondary, 3 weeks bottle/keg) I would have thought more people would wait 1+2+3= 6 weeks to drink their beer.

I usually do 2-3 weeks in primary then 3-4 in keg (which is also totals to 6 weeks) before I pass judgement on a beer.

My original post said I resolve to wait 6 weeks from BREW DAY before passing judgement. That is all I was saying.

Maybe I chose the wrong beer birthday. Maybe you all were thinking 6 weeks from bottling?

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No. A well made beer doesn't need that much time. I do about 10 days in the fermenter, and then keg. I am routinely drinking non-complex ales by day 15-20.

If you pitch the proper amount of yeast, control fermentation temperature, and use quality ingredients, a non-complex ale simply doesn't need that much time to peak.

Some beers with a very high OG or with a complex flavor profile (roastiness, smoke) may need more time. For my oatmeal stout, I keg it on about day 10 but it really doesn't become great and melded together until about 4 weeks old.

alestateyall said:

I saw this old thread today. I am the OP. I was always confused by the responses I got.

With the 1-2-3 rule (1 week primary, 2 weeks secondary, 3 weeks bottle/keg) I would have thought more people would wait 1+2+3= 6 weeks to drink their beer.

I usually do 2-3 weeks in primary then 3-4 in keg (which is also totals to 6 weeks) before I pass judgement on a beer.

My original post said I resolve to wait 6 weeks from BREW DAY before passing judgement. That is all I was saying.

Maybe I chose the wrong beer birthday. Maybe you all were thinking 6 weeks from bottling?

Click to expand...

I drink many of my beers 2-3 weeks after brew day and they taste great. I say rule #4 should be:

4: If you can't make a beer that tastes good after 2 weeks, keep trying to improve your process and start kegging.

I usually make pale ales or close cousins. I find they will keep clarifying for about 3 weeks in the keg. It may be in my head but I think the taste also keeps changing (albeit minor changes) as the beer clarifies. I do like my beer commercial quality clear.

I use good ingredients, temp control, pitch correct yeast amounts, etc. I have been fighting diacetyl lately which is why I am staying the fermenter longer. One process difference; I don't whirlpool. I dump everything from the kettle into the fermenter. Maybe that causes slower clarifying.

Example; I made the White House honey ale. It was quite drinkable early on in the keg. At 10 days it tasted like an average ESB. At 3 weeks in the keg it had completely clarified and I could taste jasmine and other flowery notes that are supposedly from the honey. The beer was much better after the wait.

A second example I make a blonde/pale ale with low OG (1040) that I add 1.5 oz late hops + 0.5 oz dry hops. It seems to take a while (3 weeks in keg) for the hops to reach their peak aroma/flavor contribution. I could add more hops but I know I can also just wait a bit longer for the yeast to drop out and stop competing with the flavors from the hops.

Hmmm,1,2,&3 of 6 weeks each. Am I the only one seeing 666 here?!
"woa unto you oh earth & sea,for the devil sends the beer destroyer with wrath,for he knows the time is short. Let him who hath beer recon the number of the beast. for,it is,a human number. It's number is six hundred & sixty-six". Bwahahahahaaaaaa................
I was alone,my mind was blank...I needed time to think, To get the memory from my mind. What did I see? In my own dreams? Were they reflections of my warped mind staring back at me??

alestateyall said:

I usually make pale ales or close cousins. I find they will keep clarifying for about 3 weeks in the keg. It may be in my head but I think the taste also keeps changing (albeit minor changes) as the beer clarifies. I do like my beer commercial quality clear.

I use good ingredients, temp control, pitch correct yeast amounts, etc. I have been fighting diacetyl lately which is why I am staying the fermenter longer. One process difference; I don't whirlpool. I dump everything from the kettle into the fermenter. Maybe that causes slower clarifying.

Example; I made the White House honey ale. It was quite drinkable early on in the keg. At 10 days it tasted like an average ESB. At 3 weeks in the keg it had completely clarified and I could taste jasmine and other flowery notes that are supposedly from the honey. The beer was much better after the wait.

A second example I make a blonde/pale ale with low OG (1040) that I add 1.5 oz late hops + 0.5 oz dry hops. It seems to take a while (3 weeks in keg) for the hops to reach their peak aroma/flavor contribution. I could add more hops but I know I can also just wait a bit longer for the yeast to drop out and stop competing with the flavors from the hops.

Click to expand...

If that works for you, that's great and you should keep doing it.

In my case, my wort is clear going into the fermenter (I use a HERMS for my system and then whirlfloc in the kettle). Unless I use a non-flocculant yeast, my beer is clear by day 10 in the fermenter. Sometimes it's really clear in 5-7 days, if I use an English ale yeast strain.

I only keg relatively clear beer, so I don't have to wait for it to clear much. WLP001 has been a pretty fast flocculator for me. I also never have starch haze or protein haze (chill haze) in my beer, so just a day or two in the keg gives very clear beer.

Here's a photo of an IPA of mine (it's an old photo), with the beer at about 21 days old:

By the time my beer is really really clear, it's been in the kegorator for 2-3 weeks. Then again, i use natural carbonation in my kegs.

I agree with OP but its personal preference. I find that I like my beer more after about 3 weeks after kegging. Usually by the end of the keg I am sad that its gone.

OP, I have yet to brew a beer that didn't improve with age, so I'm with you.

unionrdr said:

Hmmm,1,2,&3 of 6 weeks each. Am I the only one seeing 666 here?!
"woa unto you oh earth & sea,for the devil sends the beer destroyer with wrath,for he knows the time is short. Let him who hath beer recon the number of the beast. for,it is,a human number. It's number is six hundred & sixty-six". Bwahahahahaaaaaa................
I was alone,my mind was blank...I needed time to think, To get the memory from my mind. What did I see? In my own dreams? Were they reflections of my warped mind staring back at me??

Click to expand...

see my first post in this thread. Slayer told me it was here.:rockin:

Yooper said:

If that works for you, that's great and you should keep doing it.

In my case, my wort is clear going into the fermenter (I use a HERMS for my system and then whirlfloc in the kettle). Unless I use a non-flocculant yeast, my beer is clear by day 10 in the fermenter. Sometimes it's really clear in 5-7 days, if I use an English ale yeast strain.

I only keg relatively clear beer, so I don't have to wait for it to clear much. WLP001 has been a pretty fast flocculator for me. I also never have starch haze or protein haze (chill haze) in my beer, so just a day or two in the keg gives very clear beer.

Here's a photo of an IPA of mine (it's an old photo), with the beer at about 21 days old:

Click to expand...

That's very clear. I can achieve similar clarity but not so fast. I would need 21 days in the keg not 21 days from brew day.

Yooper said:

No. A well made beer doesn't need that much time. I do about 10 days in the fermenter, and then keg. I am routinely drinking non-complex ales by day 15-20.

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+1

14 days in primary, keg, and in a day or two it's ready to drink. It might not be crystal clear, (I don't use whirlfloc) but its good enough for sitting around watching the game...or if it's your cup of tea...dancing with the voices.

alestateyall said:

It seems to take a while (3 weeks in keg) for the hops to reach their peak aroma/flavor contribution.

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hmmm . . . strange. I find it's just the opposite. After three weeks in the keg, hop aroma and flavor are starting to fade.

I shoot for 8 wks myself but 6 is good enough. Some beers really just need some more age on them so they don't taste green. Yes I pitch the right amount of yeast, use oxygen bottle with a stone, and control my ferment temps. I just believe in waiting. The last glass from your keg is always the best it seems.

Dirty25 said:

The last glass from my keg is always the best it seems.

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Fixed that for ya.

I'm in the keg by 10 days in most cases. If I want the beer super clear, I use BioFine, but mostly just Irish Moss. And there's no question beer changes over time. But when I pour my last glass, I'm not sad--I just put the next keg on tap

I can't even imagine waiting six weeks to try an IPA. Man, you'd be shocked if you found out how quickly commercial breweries go from grain to bottle.

harrydrez said:

I can't even imagine waiting six weeks to try an IPA. Man, you'd be shocked if you found out how quickly commercial breweries go from grain to bottle.

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I know how fast it is. I have friends who own a brewery. Even so, with my system, my recipes...I just find it better to give them a little time. I don't have a bright tank to crash cool and filter, I don't have their yeast and quality control. I love fresh beer from pros, mine just doesn't seem to be that way.

harrydrez said:

I can't even imagine waiting six weeks to try an IPA.

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Just to clarify "my rules" didn't dictate when to try the beer or even drink the beer. Just when I would pass judgement on it and when I would be willing to give it away.

I try my beer after it has been in the keg 1 week and keep trying weekly until it is good. I usually start drinking before peek like everyone else.

For each of the rules I had instances where I regretted breaking them.

1. Never pass judgement on a beer before it is 6 weeks old.
Many times I have thought there was something wrong with a recipe or process only to wait a bit longer and have the "flaw" disappear.

2. Never give away beer before it is 6 weeks old.
I have given away green beer I thought was good then regretted when the beer was tons better a few weeks later. Not a big deal but I like to shed the best light on homebrew I can and am hypercritical of myself for dumb things like this.

3. Never post describing a beer before it is 6 weeks old.
I posted on HBT I thought White House Honey Ale was boring. Then it got so much better with age.
Also I recently read a thread were a brewer took a 10 gallon batch split it in half and pitched US-05 in one half and BRY-97 in the other. The person then forced carbed the beer and reported extensively on the results after the beer was in the keg for just 2 days. I thought that "scientific" comparison was worthless due to not letting the beer age and giving time for the yeast to drop out.

I have never kegged an IPA. I have only been kegging about 18 months. I will get there some day.