A Beer's Best Age?

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Rockweezy

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When you judge the age of your beer is it from the date you brewed it or the date you bottled it. I am trying to age my IPA and want to have it near its prime (I am guessing two to three months), but don't know when I should begin my countdown from.

Normally, I am too anxious to care about this part, thus have no idea.
 
For me I would begin from the bottling date. After it has time to carbonate then a cooler storage area seems to be the way to go.
 
i would actually say the brewing date. this is because when you bottle may vary from batch to batch, and to give consistency, the brewing date should be used.

wines are dated by their grape season, not by when they were bottled. i think it should be similar for beer.

but to each his own...
 
Alright, I'll be the other conflicting opinion.

I start measuring from the time I rack it to the secondary. Ferment is over, flavors are starting to mellow, and the beer is clearing up.

:ban:
 
I start drinking it once it is carbonated and continue as it ages. It usually hits its best flavor when I have two bottles left. Then I can't bring myself to drink them and be out. Horrible dilemma.
 
haha. do it however it works best for you.

as you can see, we all have different methods, and for each of us, the way we do it works for us. once you figure something out, it may be different than the way anyone else does it, but it will work for you. don't worry about it
 
There are too many variables to give a precise a date that the beer will be ready. Normal : 1 week primary,2 week seconday,3 weeks bottle. I hear 3 months in bottle for extract kit (tins) helps a lot. This is what I leave mine for.

The best way is to keep careful notes of all steps of the process including tasting notes, storages temperatures etx.

Drink 1 per week and keep notes on the taste. Over a period of time you should see the taste getting better and then perhaps worsening.

The next time that you brew use your notes taken previously to determine when to both start tasting and the period of time that your beer will be at its best. No point drinking beer that is not ready or past it prime.

P.S. I keep no notes and really should!!!
 
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