My first batch was (actually still is but only a few left) a German Oktoberfest. Primary straight to the bottle; about a week in primary, 3 weeks in the bottle before I cracked the first one open. Damn good if I don't say so myself. I am using Brewer's Best extract kits for now to get the process down pat.
I have a question about aging. How much aging is enough? If I use a secondary, does that help age the beer or just contribute to clarity? I ask because my first batch has gotten better over the past few weeks. Can I skip the "past few weeks" by using a secondary or should I still wait 4-6 weeks after bottling to get a vastly improved taste? And, quite frankly, I don't care about clarity at this point. I prefer dark beers (stouts, porters) so clarity is usually not an issue.
I currently have an Irish Stout in bottles that I can't wait to open. Just under 2 weeks to go.
Thanks all. This forum is great.
I have a question about aging. How much aging is enough? If I use a secondary, does that help age the beer or just contribute to clarity? I ask because my first batch has gotten better over the past few weeks. Can I skip the "past few weeks" by using a secondary or should I still wait 4-6 weeks after bottling to get a vastly improved taste? And, quite frankly, I don't care about clarity at this point. I prefer dark beers (stouts, porters) so clarity is usually not an issue.
I currently have an Irish Stout in bottles that I can't wait to open. Just under 2 weeks to go.
Thanks all. This forum is great.