Aging / Lagering / Cold Conditioning

After you ferment your ale (not Lager), and bottle it (I keep the bottles in a dark area at room temperature for 3 weeks), what do you do next?

I keep it in a dark work room that in winter is around 50 Deg F in winter, and 68 Deg F in Summer. I let the bottles sit an extra month, then begin consuming them. Note - these are not high gravity beers, 1.055 max.

1. do you think this is too soon?

2. Would the taste be improved if they were stored in a cooler place, say 50 degrees for 1-2 months?

ArcLight said:

After you ferment your ale (not Lager), and bottle it (I keep the bottles in a dark area at room temperature for 3 weeks), what do you do next?

I keep it in a dark work room that in winter is around 50 Deg F in winter, and 68 Deg F in Summer. I let the bottles sit an extra month, then begin consuming them. Note - these are not high gravity beers, 1.055 max.

1. do you think this is too soon?

2. Would the taste be improved if they were stored in a cooler place, say 50 degrees for 1-2 months?

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What do I do next? After 3 weeks in a bottle, I always drink. In fact, I always start drinking way sooner than that. I'll typically crack one open a few days after bottling, then one week, then two weeks, etc.... I like to taste how the beer is aging.

So to answer question #1, no, that is certainly not too soon.

to answer questions #2, yes or no depending on the type of ale (is it an IPA? if so, then more than likely the hop flavor/aroma will start to decline after another 2 months vs. if it's a stout/porter, the beer will probably get more balanced/complex the longer it ages).

Depends a lot on the type of beer. I try not to stick to too many hard rules when it comes to aging. I won't go less than a week in primary, and I won't expect any beer to be tasting quite right until 2-3 weeks, but those are minimums. I think you are waiting plenty long for most styles, especially low gravity beers.

There are a lot of threads on long term storage. 50 degrees is perfect for long term storage, but thats long term storage. If you plan on drinking every bottle in the next two months or so then I wouldn't worry about temperature too much. 68 would be fine, 50 would be fine.

I do like to store a bunch in the fridge for a while before drinking them. It gets rid of chill haze, and does improve the crispness. Although, some IPAs and stouts that I have left in the fridge for a while have actually gotten worse. Well not worse just different. Some of the flavors didn't come through as much