Bottle condition vs keg and temp

I'm trying to understand what is taking place during the later conditioning phase once the beer is in a bottle or keg. I understand it ages and mellows but is that a function of yeast or just time?

The reason I asked is we just bottled half our stout and keged the rest, put the keg in the fridge with co2 and force carbed it. Later that night it was carbed and we drank some, it didn't seem as good as when we bottled.

I understand it is still a bit green and we had just force carbed it. What I need to know is, will it still continue to get better through out the next weeks or will the cold keep it like it is now?

I think it is david 42 or walker san that go from primary to keg and drink right away, I recall them saing it gets better of time so I assume that conditioning still takes place even when chilled??

My understanding is that chilling slows the conditioning process considerably (which is one reason lagers take longer reach their peak.)

cweston said:

My understanding is that chilling slows the conditioning process considerably (which is one reason lagers take longer reach their peak.)

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So this extra conditioning is a function of the yeast right?

Think we should take the keg out to warm up for a while?

I'm not sure about that, honestly. Most commercial beers are filtered which effectively removes the yeast, but I dont think that means they don't condition (change in some way) at all, necessarily, does it?

Bottle-condition (or cask-conditioned) beers change partly because of the yeast comsuming the priming sugar and settling out to the bottom, but I think they also change just because beer changes over time.

cweston said:

I'm not sure about that, honestly. Most commercial beers are filtered which effectively removes the yeast, but I dont think that means they don't condition (change in some way) at all, necessarily, does it?

Bottle-condition (or cask-conditioned) beers change partly because of the yeast comsuming the priming sugar and settling out to the bottom, but I think they also change just because beer changes over time.

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yeah that is what I thought as well, I think it is the beer blending together and I guess some of the sharp flavors mellow out. I didn't think it was the yeast which is why we stuck it in the fridge right away.

I never force carbonate & drink green beer!

I keg from the fermenter, but then they go into an aging cabinet for a couple months. In addition to the processing the yeast does, there are chemical reactions that go on during the aging process. Both aspects of aging will be slowed down by refrigerating too soon.