Aging Big beers, time and temperature.

I have a Scotch Ale that will have been on the yeast cake for three weeks soon, the OG was 1.088. I had planned to rack to a secondary carboy and bulk age the brew. I plan on aging it for 3 months at 68 degrees prior to bottling. I will then rack to bottles and age another 4 to 6 months at 56 degrees before drinking. My question is what it the best temperature or mix of temperatures for aging the beer? My basement is about 56 degrees constant and I have a fermchamber that is heated to 68 degrees.

I have no "big beer" experience and the recipe says to bottle after three weeks and age for 3 months in the bottle at room temperature. I may be able to drink it by then but it sounds pretty fast to me. I want to let the yeast clean it up a little prior to drinking. Any advice would be appreciated.

The basement is a good place to store them, just make sure they are in a dark area.

Kit directions are usually generic when it comes to aging.

In the bottle or in Bulk? Is there an benefit in bulk aging or is it just a matter of aging regardless of what it's in?

I understand that bulk aging is better. I wish I could tell you why, but I can't remember

If it were my beer I'd rack it off the yeast cake like you are doing, then age it at 62-68 degrees F for a couple of months or so, until I like the taste. Then I'd put the carboy even colder if possible, for a couple weeks to clear it a little more, then bottle.

For 1.088 I'd leave it for a month and give it a taste. The bottle fermentation will cause a little bit of yeast flavor again that you might want to condition out. If after you taste it you want it cleaner leave it longer. If you like it drink it

Rubberband said:

In the bottle or in Bulk? Is there an benefit in bulk aging or is it just a matter of aging regardless of what it's in?

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After fermentation is over you can bulk age, bottle age or both in a cool dark place.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/need-advice-wee-heavy-aging-schedule-67720/

The method I used here worked good and they are still sitting in the basement close to 9 months. I will have to pop one in the fridge, now that I am thinking about them .