Proof that proper conditioning time will only make your beer better

I brewed a coffee porter about 6 weeks ago and tried one after 3 weeks in primary and 1 week in the bottle. The coffee flavor was overwhelming, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing to me since I love black coffee, but I was a little disappointed that the other malt flavors were covered up. I figured lesson learned, I used too much coffee.

Last night I tried another one after 3 weeks in the bottle and noticed that the coffee flavor had mellowed quite a bit and I could detect some of the other malt flavors coming through. This was a very pleasant surprise to me because that is exactly how I wanted the beer to turn out.

I know it's preached constantly here, but I just wanted to add my experience so that other beginners could possibly benefit from it. It's okay to try one or two early (and some even advise it to see how your beer progresses) but for the love of god, WAIT AT LEAST 3 WEEKS UNTIL YOU TEAR INTO YOUR BATCH, IT IS WORTH IT!!!

I had a two bottles of some Graff I made over two months ago that I left at my brothers house. The graff was delicious and my wife said "I'd even drink that but the fresher stuff is too tart for me". It had a real good smooth apple flavor. I stole five or six bottles back since he drinks Coors/Michelob Ultra swill.

BrookdaleBrew said:

I brewed a coffee porter about 6 weeks ago and tried one after 3 weeks in primary and 1 week in the bottle. The coffee flavor was overwhelming, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing to me since I love black coffee, but I was a little disappointed that the other malt flavors were covered up. I figured lesson learned, I used too much coffee.

Last night I tried another one after 3 weeks in the bottle and noticed that the coffee flavor had mellowed quite a bit and I could detect some of the other malt flavors coming through. This was a very pleasant surprise to me because that is exactly how I wanted the beer to turn out.

I know it's preached constantly here, but I just wanted to add my experience so that other beginners could possibly benefit from it. It's okay to try one or two early (and some even advise it to see how your beer progresses) but for the love of god, WAIT AT LEAST 3 WEEKS UNTIL YOU TEAR INTO YOUR BATCH, IT IS WORTH IT!!!

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that style gets better with age...try one in a few months and you will be amazed!!! I brew my porter/stouts in the early summer to drink next holiday season...save a few and you'll start this tradition as well lighter summer ales and IPAs drink better fresh and balance out my carboy usage and keep the kegs full...

I have heard many say that very same thing about darker beers. I plan on keeping a six pack of this one tucked away until the fall. I was considering brewing an imperial stout very soon and then bulk aging it until this winter.

I've got a IIPA keg conditioning and an IPA in the fermentor, plus ingredients for a hefewiezen and a red ale on the way to keep me occupied for now.

Everyone does it there own way, but I would do exactly what you said...they just get so much smoother (not even the same beer)...I love ipa's and esb's for the summer (and all year round for that matter) but there is nothing like a 6month old Chocolate Stout on thanksgiving --before dinner of course

I brewed a standard robust porter on jan 2nd.

tapped the keg mid-feb. it was good, but pretty harsh around the edges. me and my friends drank most of it up feb-march.

kind of left it alone for a few weeks. pulled the last few pints last weekend, and it was amazing. i wouldn't say "totally different beer", but it was much much better.

BrookdaleBrew said:

I brewed a coffee porter about 6 weeks ago and tried one after 3 weeks in primary and 1 week in the bottle. The coffee flavor was overwhelming, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing to me since I love black coffee, but I was a little disappointed that the other malt flavors were covered up. I figured lesson learned, I used too much coffee.

Last night I tried another one after 3 weeks in the bottle and noticed that the coffee flavor had mellowed quite a bit and I could detect some of the other malt flavors coming through. This was a very pleasant surprise to me because that is exactly how I wanted the beer to turn out.

I know it's preached constantly here, but I just wanted to add my experience so that other beginners could possibly benefit from it. It's okay to try one or two early (and some even advise it to see how your beer progresses) but for the love of god, WAIT AT LEAST 3 WEEKS UNTIL YOU TEAR INTO YOUR BATCH, IT IS WORTH IT!!!

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How much coffee did you use? (And how big a batch of course)

Babylon said:

How much coffee did you use? (And how big a batch of course)

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I brewed a 5 gallon batch and just added 1 strong pot of my favorite coffee (Starbuck's French Roast) to the fermentor after a week. Although I think the next time I do a batch with coffee, I'll cold steep for 24hrs rather than brewing it in my Mr. Coffee. Supposedly this method gives you all the coffee flavor but without the coffee bitterness. Coffee.

I brewed a beer that tasted really really malty initially. I think that not only was the recipe a poor one but I also beleive that the yeast died off due to the OG being 1.101 so after it had been kegged and carbonated I let the beer go flat and added another packet of yeast that could better tolerate the high alcohol. It brought the FG down a few more points then I just let it condition for 6 months. Now I have a keg of beer that closely resembles Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale. It ended up being 9.9% abv but finally after 6 months is quite tasty. I was very tempted to dump this beer but I knew it wasn't contaminated, just needed some TLC and some time to age out.

I recently found a box of boomers filled with the "Fire and Ice Ale" or whatever it was called.

It was one of my first extract batches and it tasted like arse when I got to drinking it about two years ago.


Now it is really decent. Not great but definitely surprised to see it handled the summers and winters in my garage and turned out better for it.


I guess Mick knew what he was saying about time being on your side.

Coffee Stout - I used 3 oz of Sumatra at the 15min mark (ground coffee from Starbucks) and then Dry hopped with 3 oz of Kona. Also 0 used Oatmeal and Chocolate nibs.

it was outstanding after three weeks - very coffee-like but as time wore on the coffee faded clearing the way for the Chocolate. It was like a new wonderful beer every week.

is it ok to use coffee grounds right into the brewpot?

I am a relative newby and made up a recipe based on a stout recipe I had made before. I made it mostly the same, but added more hops (I like hops) and about 1/3 cup of that mornings used coffee grounds to the brewpot. I'd have to consult my notes to see when, but I think it was right at the beginning when I added 1/2 of my DME.

Anyway after about 2 weeks in the primary, the coffee taste was def. there, but not too strong. After another couple of weeks in the secondary (corny) I chilled it, carbed it, and the coffee taste has def. mellowed. It is pretty good!

I noticed no ill effects from adding the used grounds, but thought I get another opinion.

I had a maybe-overambitious second brew that was an oatmeal, coffee, chocolate, bourbon stout. Added 2 kinds of chocolate to the boil, 2 oz of sumatran coffee at 15 min, then cracked 2 oz of Kona coffe and soaked that in bourbon during the primary. After 10 days of primary, racked the beer onto the 2 oz of cracked bourbon coffee and let secondary for FOUR WEEKS. When I bottled, the bitter coffe smell was overpowering and I didn't even want to taste it.

Drank a 22 oz bottle after 3 weeks in bottle: pretty strong coffee taste (and I drink my coffee black) and overpoweing coffee after-taste. Couldn't notice much maltiness or chocolate. Now they've been bottled for 5 weeks and the coffee has mellowed and gave way to a more choclate taste. It's truly a testament to aging some of your brews.

If I had to do it over again, I would add coffee only at flame out, as the oils destroy the head on the beer after a few minutes. Also, I'd only let it sit on the cracked coffee beans for 2 weeks max.