'K, I'm bottled. Now what

Are you serious? I have to wait a Month? But I want to drink them NOW!!!!
*sigh* Ok, but, no promises on how many will be left when they're finally matured and ready to drink.
Seriously, How long to wait after bottling before checking? One month? 6 weeks? one beer a week until its good?

I usually go with the "A beer a week until it's good" approach

Sometimes you may get carbonation after 3-5 days...not quite good, but enough
to make it drinkable. Everyone samples their beer before it is fully conditioned...it is not bad to do so you know how the beer matures. Just try to avoid drinking all too soon as you may regret running out in a few weeks just as the beer is at its best.

Cheers.

I go with the 10 day test. Once you get some HB in store, the wait is easier. Not much, but easier.

I rarely tap a keg before a month, but I do have a backlog. When I brewed in California, guzzleboy would sample daily with a pint glass! I rarely got any of the beer unless I took a partial keg home from each batch. That's one reason I have so many kegs.

A bottle a week/10 days is a good idea. Take notes as the brew ages. Soon you will join the multitudes of homebrewers that have said, "By the time is got good, it was gone. Next time ..."

yeah, waiting sux. I usually sample a few a week

I brewed a stout once that turned out excellent! It was even good flat (to me anyways). I drank too many of them before they were actually conditioned. I gave 3 to my buddy and told him to hide them from me, so I could forget about them. Well a few months went by and I went over to his house and he broke them out. OUTSTANDING! (for me... my beer doesn't usually turn out this good). I wish I had the patience to let all the bottles age that long...

I waited exactly 5 days to test the first one. My fermentation temps were in the low to mid 70's. Everyone said it would be fruity, and they were right. Still, at about 1/3 carbonation, I didn't HATE it. I'm not a big red ale fan, but hey, the first one was a gift. I'll drink just about ANYTHING if it's a gift... (yes that includes major labels and mass produced swill, I'm not proud). SO, now we are on the one a week (maybe two.... ) plan and hopefully it will mature nicely.

Yea...hard to wait ha? I try the first bottle about 2 weeks after bottleing. I really hope this batch turns out. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

Was sitting watching the MNF game last night, and decided to chill and try a brew (Magic Hat #9 Clone) that was only 5 days in bottle for gits and shiggles. It was green, and barely carbonated, as expected, but hey- it is the first new brew that I have made since the spring- spent the summer dwindling my inventory and working. As green as it was, it was nice to be back in the saddle. This was the first kit beer that I have ever done-up til this point I have followed recipes-mine or someone else's.

My last batch I waited 5 days and popped a bottle. It was carbonated perfectly but still a little young. it took about a month to really develope some flavor.


Dan

My first brew still needs at least another week (based on my recent taste test); the waiting is killing me.

Instead of waiting all that time, just make more. That way you will be drinking the other while the next is conditioning. Pretty soon you'll have several beers hanging around and waiting isn't a chore.

What Brewsmith said... exactly.

Let me put it this way.

When I started brewing, I sampled one per week until I considered them drinkable. Then I changed to one or two per day until they were gone.

It took me over a year to realize that I had drunk all my beer before it had matured.

I think my beers reach a peak after 6 - 8 weeks in the bottle, or 4 - 6 weeks in the keg. This doesn't worry me in the slightest, as I have about 2 months worth of beer maturing at any moment in time (as well as those that are ready to drink).

-a.

TheJadedDog said:

My first brew still needs at least another week (based on my recent taste test); the waiting is killing me.

Click to expand...

I was in the same boat. As of last night, though, I’ve officially declared my first batch drinkable. But I have to keep a significant portion of it around for a Halloween party. I’m still trying to restrict myself to one a week until then.

Having done the 1 a week while waiting for it to condition, I think I now have a good idea of what the beer in the bottle will look like once it is conditioned. Hopefully, that will make the waiting easier on brew #2.