Is 2 weeks in the bottle enough?

I bottled an ESB exactly 2 weeks ago, and I wanted to open one tonight. I usually wait three weeks, but it would be convenient to bust out a few of them this evening. The OG was 1.055, FG was 1.015. It sat in primary for 3 weeks. Is it too early to try one of these beers?

You can try one but another week or two (maybe even 3) in the bottle would be better. It might be a good experience to have one now, have another one next week, and another the week after so you can see and taste the difference in bottle conditioning times...

Me personally I don't open them for at least 3 weeks if my storage has been at 70 degrees...

You can do whatever the heck you want, it's your beer after all as long as you don't start an is my beer ruined thread, because it is flat or it tastes funny..

Or if you get a stomach ache, like someone on here recently.

Might as well read this...Otherwise I'll just have to post it later...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/558191-post101.html

And don't drink them all or else you will miss out on them when they've conditioned...and at your best.

allanmac00 said:

I bottled an ESB exactly 2 weeks ago, and I wanted to open one tonight. I usually wait three weeks, but it would be convenient to bust out a few of them this evening. The OG was 1.055, FG was 1.015. It sat in primary for 3 weeks. Is it too early to try one of these beers?

Click to expand...

If you kept them warm enough, they'll be good to drink. Not yet at their peak, but certainly enjoyable.

You should absolutely drink at least one of them, and it will probably be drinkable, although not as good as it will be a week or two down the road.

The best way to learn patience is by trying things before they are ready. Why even wait two weeks? I recommend trying one bottle after just a couple of days, then another a week in, so you can see exactly what difference the aging makes. Having done that, I now feel confident in recommending that three weeks really is the right amount of time to wait for most brews Two weeks is drinkable but just not quite there yet.

I never got a gut ache from beer and I've had a few young 'ens. Some beers are ready at two weeks--sometimes less. If you always wait three weeks it's one part of the process you never really know. I wish I had some 7 once bottles so I could use a six pack of them as testers. Every recipe works out different.

Revvy said:

Me personally I don't open them for at least 3 weeks if my storage has been at 70 degrees...

You can do whatever the heck you want, it's your beer after all as long as you don't start an is my beer ruined thread, because it is flat or it tastes funny..

Or if you get a stomach ache, like someone on here recently.

Might as well read this...Otherwise I'll just have to post it later...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/558191-post101.html

And don't drink them all or else you will miss out on them when they've conditioned...and at your best.

Click to expand...

That's the second time you've referred to my post. Once again, I only posted about my stomach ache because I fear an allergic reaction to corn.

Tasting the beer at different stages is what I find to be an enjoyable aspect of the hobby. However, the difference between beer in a bottle for two weeks compared to three, is huge, four is even better.

I've found (in my limited experience) that 3-4 weeks warm condition plus at least 3 days in the fridge is best. I was completely amazed at the difference between 2 week old, 3 week old and cold conditioned beer. A little patience makes all the difference in the world.

Sure, go ahead. If you want to open some tonight then do it. 3 weeks in primary and 2 in the bottles should be plenty for a well made 1.055 beer.

Beer isn't manna handed down by God or something, just drink it. The rest of them can "age to perfection".

I think that most people who start these threads already have one of the beers in question in the fridge or possibly the glass already.

The only thing I've ever "learned" from drinking green beer is what crappy beer tastes like. I already knew that from drinking macroswill.

dontman said:

The only thing I've ever "learned" from drinking green beer is what crappy beer tastes like. I already knew that from drinking macroswill.

Click to expand...

So BMC sells green beer? I'm not buying that something magical happens on day 21 and then it's suddenly ready. You can't put all beer on a schedule like that. Each has it own time.

I just poured the last of my Partigyle pumpkin Porter...Brewed on Labor Day, bottled 1 month later...First ones cracked on Halloween still green but carbed, so we drank a six whilst giving out candy...Left the rest alone til turkey day, and my family loved them, and I've drank a few now and then...But this one sat...until now, bottled on October first...Consumed 3 months later...

When it was green, even though it was carbed, you got a hot alcohol burn, and a really funky sourness from the pumpkin in the back of the throat..and way too much spice, especially the clove....Not undrinkable, but far from wonderful,

Now it is amazing, and sublime; the pumpkin and spice are nicely balanced, somewhat tart against a backbone of a deep rich burnt caramel and toffee note, with even a black coffee hint coming through. Nothing overwhelms, instead they meld together seamlessly.

There's a nice blend of both carbonation and a lingering mouth feel, and a deliciously seductive nose of toffee and cloves.

I would without hesitation pay 9 bucks for a 22 of this if it had the name Rogue, or Stone on it....and it kicked the ass of any pumpkin ales in the stores last October. This beer right now is at it's peak....and it was the last one.

You guys can debate about the merits of waiting or not...you can pimp me for believing in bottle conditioning...you can be beer pedaphiles for all I give a flying ****...but allanmac00 you are doing yourself a great injustice, if you don't set some beers aside for awhile, and just see, or should I say TASTE and SMELL what happens when the "magic" that some people on here deride so vehemently, comes together...I'm not talking months buddy, it's an ESB, a few weeks will do...but you will note the different.

Budweiser can put their fast turnover and tasteless pisswater, with their "born on dates on the market (why any homebrewer would bring it up as a "good" thing, I can't fathom), and brainwash you to drink it ice cold (so you can't taste the flavor)...they kill it off, filter and process it so it tastes )or should I say is tastelessly the same) but that's not a real living beer.

That's the Ford Escort of the beer world...

There are some things better...and those take a little time.

Conroe said:

So BMC sells green beer? I'm not buying that something magical happens on day 21 and then it's suddenly ready. You can't put all beer on a schedule like that. Each has it own time.

Click to expand...

No. In my opinion they sell crappy beer. Are you saying you aspire to their level? I refuse to drink crappy beer.

I don't believe that 21 days is a magical number either. On that we are in agreement. To me 21 days is the minimum time, not a magical one before a beer loses most traces of its green qualities. My standard conditioning time is usually at least 5-6 weeks before I put a beer into production. I will start to taste it at 3 weeks though to see how far it has progressed.

I have beers conditioning at the moment that have been in bottle for 9 and 10 weeks that I have not tried yet. One I won't try for another 6 - 8 weeks. One I plan to try in a couple weeks.

So again, 21 days is not magical just minimal. It's your beer dude, and your tastebuds too. If it tastes like ambrosia at 48 hours all the power to you, in that case I would probably drink it younger too. To be honest, when I look at my brew journal from '91 I tried some of my beers as soon as "I noted some sediment on the bottom of the bottle." And I indicate that they taste "delicious" so I can't really judge people for doing what I did as a newb myself.

Conroe said:

So BMC sells green beer? I'm not buying that something magical happens on day 21 and then it's suddenly ready. You can't put all beer on a schedule like that. Each has it own time.

Click to expand...

BMC is 28 days grain to glass, but it's also dead beer minimally hopped and brewed with a large amount of adjuncts that keeps the body very light. At a commercial level, the process is controlled to the minute; so, yes, something magical can ostensibly happen on day 21. But, again, we're talking about a process/recipe that has been automated and understood inside and out, so that every single phase is completely reproducible down to the nth degree. Repeatability is the Holy Grail in brewing.

I don't understand why you have this maverick attitude about something that is well documented in both the literature and through anecdotal experience.

I've only brewed one beer that I did not think came together in less than three weeks (it was more like two months). I've not brewed a whole lot, and very few were over 1.060. I gave all my oldest beers away for Christmas. I envy you guys with long pipelines and large selections. Nothing in my sig is ready yet.

Revvy, I admire your passion, and a lot of what you say is true.

But, c'mon, the OP was smart enough to leave his beer in the primary for 3 weeks and the bottle for 2 before even thinking about opening one. Seems like the kind of brewer who already knows that beer gets better with time. So spare us the lecture just this one time, please?

In my opinion (and experience) a 1.055 ESB that was brewed well (this is key) should be good to go in 5 weeks. The incremental benefits of leaving it sit for much longer won't be as dramatic as you suggest.

Beer is not some kind of precious resource that needs to be hoarded and rationed out and sipped like it comes from the fountain of youth. By the logic of your pumpkin beer, it would never be the right time to drink one because it is always getting better, right? Its just beer. Its meant to be drank. RDWHAHB.

In my opinion (and experience) a 1.055 ESB that was brewed well (this is key) should be good to go in 5 weeks. The incremental benefits of leaving it sit for much longer won't be as dramatic as you suggest.

Click to expand...

I agree completely. However, it stands to reason that those who start threads like this one don't yet have the practical experience to come to this conclusion.

I'm all for RDWHAHB, but I have high standards for the beers that I brew and want to enjoy them when they are at their peak of flavor and conditioning, not 'just so'.

Beer is not some kind of precious resource that needs to be hoarded and rationed out and sipped like it comes from the fountain of youth.

Click to expand...

Why shouldn't it? A rhetorical question, of course.

Beerthoven said:

By the logic of your pumpkin beer, it would never be the right time to drink one because it is always getting better, right? Its just beer. Its meant to be drank. RDWHAHB.

Click to expand...

No, actually I'm just saying that there is a RIGHT time to drink all beers, and rarely is it UNDER 3 weeks. Some don't peak for months...That's all I was saying...Especially since I said essentially the same thing as you, that the OP's ESB would probably be nice around 5 or 6 weeks...And that he should save some to enjoy then...

Revvy said:

No, actually I'm just saying that there is a RIGHT time to drink all beers, and rarely is it UNDER 3 weeks. Some don't peak for months...That's all I was saying...Especially since I said essentially the same thing as you, that the OP's ESB would probably be nice around 5 or 6 weeks...And that he should save some to enjoy then...

Click to expand...

Better yet: Solve the problem by brewing enough so that you always have 50-100 bottles of various styles on hand. That way, you can taste them after 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and still have some left over a couple of months later.

Beerthoven said:

In my opinion (and experience) a 1.055 ESB that was brewed well (this is key) should be good to go in 5 weeks. The incremental benefits of leaving it sit for much longer won't be as dramatic as you suggest.

Beer is not some kind of precious resource that needs to be hoarded and rationed out and sipped like it comes from the fountain of youth. By the logic of your pumpkin beer, it would never be the right time to drink one because it is always getting better, right? Its just beer. Its meant to be drank. RDWHAHB.

Click to expand...

You are very reasonable in what you say. I go six for ESB but that is kind of splitting hairs.

Also I agree that it is not some precious resource to a degree, but only to a degree. The fact is beer should be consumed in moderation, and extreme moderation for some. I got a kidney infection in '95 from which I nearly lost my kidneys and pancreas and spent two months in the hospital. I went for 10 years after that hospital stay where my doctor would look the other way when I had one beer. PER YEAR! You better believe that those one beers per year were precious. (Actually I went pretty much ten years without any beers before I got a 100% recovery sign from my cat scans and began having an occasional beer.)

When I say life is too short to drink bad beer, I actually mean it.

Conroe, I reflected on what I replied to you and thought about something you mentioned. Yes, I have a wonderful luxury of a large pipeline. I've got two years worth of beer in my cellar ready to drink. I've got six months worth conditioning right now.

So I am sort of like the rich guy telling the poor guy "Save your money." But that doesn't make it bad advice. If you can wait three weeks before trying the beer or going insane great, do that. OTOH if you are sitting on the floor with a 22ozer and a lamp flickering on and off and your left eye is twitching, then step back from the abyss and crack that sucker open.

dontman, I really liked your other post. You put me in my place and did it so well. I wish I had your communication skills. I'm a man of few words and am often misunderstood.

ArcaneXor said:

Better yet: Solve the problem by brewing enough so that you always have 50-100 bottles of various styles on hand. That way, you can taste them after 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and still have some left over a couple of months later.

Click to expand...

That has been my solution. I finally have enough bottles that have been sitting for a month+ and new batches fermenting that I'm starting to think, "Man, when am I going to drink all this beer?"

flyangler18 said:

I'm all for RDWHAHB, but I have high standards for the beers that I brew and want to enjoy them when they are at their peak of flavor and conditioning, not 'just so'.

Click to expand...

Me too. I've worked hard over the past 2 years to tighten up my AG process and learn as much as I can about beer history, recipes, and brewing techniques. I make good beer, too; it's clean, well attenuated, bright, and balanced. Though I do admit I have a lot more to learn.

But at the end of the day, I don't delude myself into thinking I'm anything more than what I am: A simple homebrewer making beers for myself, my family, and friends to enjoy while having a good time. I'm not an artisan, nor do I want to be. I actually don't look forward to brewday very much, and I don't spend a lot of time thinking about the complexities of beer tasting (and I have zero interest in competitions). I just want to casually enjoy a well-crafted, good-drinking beer. And I have no qualms about opening a few beers after 2 weeks in the bottle to see how they are coming along. Call me a simpleton if you will, but that's what this hobby is to me.

dontman said:

... I got a kidney infection in '95 from which I nearly lost my kidneys and pancreas and spent two months in the hospital. I went for 10 years after that hospital stay where my doctor would look the other way when I had one beer. PER YEAR! You better believe that those one beers per year were precious ...

Click to expand...

Whoa, sorry about your kidneys. If I could only have one beer a year, it would be precious, too.

ArcaneXor said:

Better yet: Solve the problem by brewing enough so that you always have 50-100 bottles of various styles on hand. That way, you can taste them after 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and still have some left over a couple of months later.

Click to expand...

This is the answer to my problem...I'm just not there yet.

BTW...I did drink ONE last night, more out of curiosity than anything. I don't know exactly what "green" tastes like, but I could tell it wasn't quite there yet. It was tasty, but perhaps another week would help.

I was never planning to tear through the whole batch early...just wanted to see how it was coming along.

Nothing wrong with tasting every step of the way. Tasting 4 days after pitching is quite the experience. Just have a spittoon handy.

My first batch is heading to 1 week in the bottle.

allanmac00 said:

This is the answer to my problem...I'm just not there yet.

BTW...I did drink ONE last night, more out of curiosity than anything. I don't know exactly what "green" tastes like, but I could tell it wasn't quite there yet. It was tasty, but perhaps another week would help.

I was never planning to tear through the whole batch early...just wanted to see how it was coming along.

Click to expand...

There are several "green" tastes. The most common one is yeast bite, which usually comes from not bulk conditioning the beer for long enough, or a very active bottle fermentation/carbonation. It can be minimized by putting bottles in the fridge for 24-48 hours before pouring.

Others are mostly products of sub-optimal fermentation conditions that produced off-flavors that take some time to mellow and blend with the beer. Those, too, can be minimized with proper temperature control and leaving the beer on the yeast for long enough. These tend to be taste too bitter, harsh, solvent-like, green-apple-like etc.

Finally, there are green flavors that result from beers that simply require extended aging to develop their intended flavor profile - many wild, "funky" and strong beers fall into this category. With these, you are best off just leaving them alone for a while, both while bulk and bottle conditioning. Taste them, sparingly, after a month, two months, three months, etc, up to a year or two, depending on the style.

What I always try to do is keep a sixpack of any brew I make to archive and sample it one every six months or so. The other 40-odd bottles (again, with the exception of the strong/funky beers), I drink fairly quickly over the course of a month or two.

ChickenSoop said:

Nothing wrong with tasting every step of the way. Tasting 4 days after pitching is quite the experience. Just have a spittoon handy.

Click to expand...

Ugh, tasting actively fermenting beer is among the more unpleasant sensory experiences I have had in my life. I wait until I get close to FG before tasting my samples these days.

The time it takes me to open a bottle varies upon the style of beer, and by the amount of beer I have on hand. I rarely have a full pipeline, but often have something in the fridge to try so I am able to hold off better than before.

I'd say for an ESB (never had one, put it on my list...) 4 weeks sounds about right, although I rarely don't drink a sample at 2 weeks. I just HAVE to!

I have a Wit in a keg that is about 4 weeks IIRC (yeah, I take great notes!), and I have no plans to drink it. My fridge is full! Until that IPA is gone, it's just going to sit in that keg and tempt me. I thumb my nose at it!

I've drank plenty of good beers too young, and frankly I'd rather wait a few more weeks. Patience!

allanmac00 said:

I bottled an ESB exactly 2 weeks ago, and I wanted to open one tonight. I usually wait three weeks, but it would be convenient to bust out a few of them this evening. The OG was 1.055, FG was 1.015. It sat in primary for 3 weeks. Is it too early to try one of these beers?

Click to expand...

I bottled a brown ale almost a month ago.. I cracked one open a few days ago, and there was no carbination.

I bottled a porter less than 2 weeks ago.. I cracked one open 2 days ago and it was Very carbinated and tasted great.

Theres only one way to find out

This reminds me of a study where some psychologists sat a kid down, gave him one bump of chocolate, then left the room for a few minutes, telling him that if he hadn't eaten the chocolate by the time they got back, he could have a whole bar. Some kids ate it, others had the willpower to wait and get the whole bar.

The interesting thing was, they then followed up with these kids later in life, and found the ones who went for deferred gratification at age 3 or 4 consistently did better in school and ended up with much higher paying jobs.

When it comes to brewing, I'm pretty good at choosing deferred gratification while my beer is in the fermenter. I simply don't bottle any sooner than 3 weeks, as I know it won't taste so good if I am too hasty.

It's harder once it is in the bottle, though, because this is no longer an either/or choice. I can try one bottle now, while keeping the others for later, so what's to lose, right?

But here's the thing.

I typically try one bottle after a couple of weeks, and it's too green.

I try another after three weeks, and it's pretty good.

After four weeks, it's great, so I start drinking it in larger quantities, and give some away to friends.

After six or seven weeks, it's all gone except for a couple of bottles, so I slow down my consumption rate (which is easy because by this time the next brew is ready).

Maybe four or five months later, I try the very last bottle. And wow. This is SO much better than it was earlier on!

This happens to me every time. Not once have I tasted that last bottle and thought "hmm, it's ok but this was better just 5 weeks in".

Every brew I ever did went on getting better and better right up to the bitter end. So I don't even really know where the peak would be. If I held onto a bottle for a year, or two years, would that be better still? There must be a crest somewhere, after which it starts going downhill, but I've never lasted long enough to find out where that is.

Obviously the right solution is for me to wait longer, so I could drink more of my beer at it's peak. But what can I say? I'm impatient, and it's already pretty good at the point when I start drinking it, so I eat the one bump of chocolate now even though I could get more if I waited...