Patience . . . .

SWMBO has been making a bit of a face when she tried my nut brown ale, but she passed by the desk just now and had a sip and said "Hey, that's actually good!" Now, coming from a non-beer drinker (pretty exclusively wine and margarita on the rocks drinker) that's high praise. This is the same beer she was making the face at a few weeks ago. And she's right, it's been getting better and better.

Just starting out and not having enough homebrews in the fridge, it's tough (impossible) to wait. But it is amazing how much better it gets with a few extra weeks. This one was bottled 12/14, so is at about six weeks from bottling, nine weeks from brew day. Sad part is that there are only six 12 ouncers left, and a couple more of 'em are going to bite the bullet before the night is over. Just bottled a mild brown today and I already know I'll be popping the tops early.

My nut brown ale:


Rick

More reason to brew as much as possible. You don't have to drink any less, and there is more beer around to age longer. W00t

Mr. Awesome is correct ! Most beer is consumed way too early .... there is an 'old saying' that goes ...... Your Beer Will Be Ready To Drink When You Pour Your Last Pint. I have a Nut Brown on tap that I made back on November 16, and it is just now starting to get spectacular!

I have a six keg system and try to have at least 2 beers in a secondary, or tertriary ready to fill a keg as soon as one gets empty.

- GL63

I agree with the posts; the longer you can wait, the better! Your beer will only get better in the bottle/keg, the longer you wait. You wouldn't want to drink a good barleywine that is only 1 month old. Let that batch sit at least a year! I have a barleywine (last one) in the bottle now that is 4.5 years old. Saving that one for a special occasion!