Aging - Bulk and Bottle

What do folks think about bulk aging and bottle aging?

I've got a Wee Heavy in the primary carboy now. It's been there about a month, had an OG of 1.090. I thought I'd rack it soon to another carboy, fill the headroom with CO2, and let it sit another two months. Then bottle it and let it age in the bottles for 3 months.

So it would have 6 months of aging, 3 in bulk and 3 in bottle. Does that make sense? Or I'm wondering whether it would be beneficial to bulk age longer?

I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice you might have.

Ever since I started kegging, I prefer to bulk age. Even if I still bottled, I think I would continue to prefer bulk aging. It allows for greater flexibility to taste and adjust your beer after it finishes fermenting.

Since you're attempting to age beer in an oxygen free environment and if successful, the container size shouldn't make much of a difference, in my opinion.

For big beers I like to just bulk age in the primary for 3 to 4 weeks. Afterwards I go straight to the bottles. Ever since I switched to large starters (1/2 gallon or 1 gallon), aerate with pure o2, and have a fermchamber I have no need to let beers condition in bulk for any longer. Obviously results may vary. If all the "off" fermentation flavors are consumed then bottle it. It will age the same in the bottles at that point. Plus, you don't have to worry about the viability of your yeast at bottling after months of sitting around.

Pappers_ said:

What do folks think about bulk aging and bottle aging?

I've got a Wee Heavy in the primary carboy now. It's been there about a month, had an OG of 1.090. I thought I'd rack it soon to another carboy, fill the headroom with CO2, and let it sit another two months. Then bottle it and let it age in the bottles for 3 months.

So it would have 6 months of aging, 3 in bulk and 3 in bottle. Does that make sense? Or I'm wondering whether it would be beneficial to bulk age longer?

I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice you might have.

Click to expand...

Not sure, but I've got two kegs of a wee heavy sitting in my house. I'm gonna leave them till the weather gets cool, them bottle from the kegs.

I have an Imperial Stout that I decided to age in the bottle after a month primary. I don't have co2 to purge the head space of a secondary, and I figured it will still age just fine in the bottle. I'll let it age about 6-8 months....