Northern Brewer's "Ready In" Estimates

sionide21 · May 18, 2009

The recipes I buy form northern brewer list a "ready in" time (for example 5 weeks). What does this time mean? Is that ready to drink, ready to bottle, what?

I thought that primary was two weeks , secondary was at least two weeks, and bottle aging was at least three weeks. This doesn;t seem to fit when some of their beers are ready in 4 weeks or 6 weeks.

RogerMcAllen · May 19, 2009

The general formula is 2 weeks primary, x weeks 2ndary, 2 weeks to carb in the bottle

x = "ready in" - 4

In the case of the lower proof ales, 6 weeks comes out be 2 weeks primary, 2 weeks 2ndary, 2 weeks in the bottle. I haven't seen a 4, but that would be 2 weeks primary, 2 weeks in the bottle.

HOOTER · May 19, 2009

Northern Brewer has some really low gravity ales that, if you wanted to rush, could be drinkable in 4 or 5 weeks (from pitching yeast to drinking). Generally you want to go 6 weeks minimum for pretty much any ale if you want it to taste it's best.

sionide21 · May 20, 2009

So if I am kegging it, should I just take two weeks off the Northern Brewer time?

the_bird · May 20, 2009

Not really. You can have beer that's carbonated in very little time, but it's still going to be green. Whether it's force-carbed after two weeks or not, it's still going to need basically the same amount of time to be properly conditioned.

sionide21 · May 20, 2009

Ok, so should I let it sit flat for those two weeks or should I force-carbonate it and then leave it in the keg for two weeks?

Yooper · May 20, 2009

sionide21 said:
Ok, so should I let it sit flat for those two weeks or should I force-carbonate it and then leave it in the keg for two weeks?

It doesn't matter. Carbonation doesn't affect the aging at all. I'd leave the keg sit at room temperature for a couple of weeks, then chill it. Beer ages faster at room temperature.

Northern Brewer's "Ready In" Estimates

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