Christmas Ale TOO much spice... help?

Hey everyone I was looking for some advice on my first christmas ale. We brewed it 5+ weeks ago, and it is the first one I have ever kegged. I waited 5 weeks before putting it in the kegerator for a day so that I could try it.

Well, I'm not disappointed, its decent, but far too much spice flavor (ie. cinnamon & allspice). We followed a recipe so its not like we just threw a bunch of stuff in there, but I guess my question is this...

Now that I have it in the kegerator, how much "softening" of the flavors can I expect? Should I pull it out and put it at room temp until late december, or is this even going to be enough time? (ie. What amount of time is typical for a noticeable change in the supplemental spiced flavors of beer?)

Thanks!

You say you brewed it 5 weeks ago and then waited 5 week to put it in the kegerator. Is that 10 weeks?

I would bet that at the 2 month mark (since the yeast hit the wort) it will turn on a dime and be an excellent beer. Most holiday ales and IPA take at least 2 months from stockpot to keg before they start to taste good.

The more spices you add the longer it takes to age. Hops are a spice as well.

Forrest

+1 to the professionals.

I brewed it on Oct 21st., kegged it with bottling sugar on nov 7th, and put it into the kegerator on Nov 28th. At this point, do I risk the beer going bad since i've already tapped the keg if I pull it out and let it sit a few more weeks at room temp? Also, is there any advantage to aging it at room temp vs cooler temp? I would think that it would mellow faster at room temp.

JoeIsbell said:

I brewed it on Oct 21st., kegged it with bottling sugar on nov 7th, and put it into the kegerator on Nov 28th. At this point, do I risk the beer going bad since i've already tapped the keg if I pull it out and let it sit a few more weeks at room temp? Also, is there any advantage to aging it at room temp vs cooler temp? I would think that it would mellow faster at room temp.

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You are correct about the temperature.

When you pull it out of the kegerator, don't release the pressure. This will not only keep it somewhat carbed for when you put it back in, but will also seal the keg and protect the beer under a blanket of CO2.

Then, when you think it's ready...or it's Christmas, put it back in a couple days early and you should be good to go.

D-kershner,

thanks for the temp advice, and i've heard similar advice about making sure to keep the keg pressurized with CO2, but what kind of life does the beer have after its tapped? 2-3 months at most?

I brewed my St. Nick's Ale on Sept. 6th and it has finally mellowed enough to be very tasty. five it another 2-3 weeks and you will be very happy with the results.

Cheers.

Give it time, but I would blow off some CO2. Just past experiance. If someoone wants to ellaborate in support or opposition, feel free.

JoeIsbell said:

D-kershner,

thanks for the temp advice, and i've heard similar advice about making sure to keep the keg pressurized with CO2, but what kind of life does the beer have after its tapped? 2-3 months at most?

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The same life it had before it was tapped. This applies if you are pushing with CO2, if you are pushing with oxygen (Party Pump, college parties, etc.), then you have maybe a day or two.

BeerCrazy said:

Give it time, but I would blow off some CO2. Just past experiance. If someoone wants to ellaborate in support or opposition, feel free.

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I am in opposition. The beer aging has nothing to do with carbonation imo. To blow off or to not blow off is simply to waste some CO2/carbonation, or to save some.

dkershner said:

The same life it had before it was tapped.

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So how long are we talkin about, 3 months?

JoeIsbell said:

So how long are we talkin about, 3 months?

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Standard gravity beers start to "go bad" after around a year methinks. High gravity can be aged for years.

a year in the keg?! really!? I didn't think it would last that long... esp since its not a commercial beer

JeoeIsbell said:

a year in the keg?! really!? I didn't think it would last that long... esp since its not a commercial beer

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It's less about being commercial and more about the type of beer. You are brewing a high gravity ale which can stand the test of time. A beer like Budweiser praises born on dating because it'll go bad considerably quicker.

I was referring to the fact that we probably have more chances of contamination in home brewing, and from what i've read there are other factors that make the beer less ageable as well. From my experience drinking beer, u'r right tho high alcohol/gravity beers of course age better.