So I bottled my first batch of home brewed beer (English Brown Ale) this past Sunday (9/16) and I am excited about finally enjoying it. Since I new to this I am anxious to taste it. How long should I wait before opening one? Should I try one each week to see how the tastes change of just wait 2 weeks or so?
When can I crack one open?
- Thread starter dkeller12
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louie0202
Well-Known Member
I would wait two weeks, chill one..try it......if its not to your carb level, wait another week and repeat.
I keg, however typically from brewing to drinking I wait 5 weeks to get the greenness out.
I keg, however typically from brewing to drinking I wait 5 weeks to get the greenness out.
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
Beeing your first beer I will try one at a week, one at 10 days, another at 14 days and so on until the 3 weeks @70 that are usually requiered, this will give you the chance to try for yourself the changes that beer experiments while conditioning in bottles. After your first couple of batches just wait the usual period.
Waiting for you first batch sucks, doesn't it.
here here, I'll drink to that
I might sneak a taste of the beer I bottled a week ago just to see how it's getting along. Scientific experimentation I'll call it
bobeer
Fermentation Specalist
I can't help but to take a taste at about 12 days or so. If it's a half batch then I force myself to wait. I usually clean bottles or brew another batch to help ease the pain of waiting. It's the hardest part of the hobby!
The best part abut this hobby is you brewed it, it's your beer so do whatever you feel compelled to do with it! If you want to try one in a week, go for it and enjoy it but most likely two weeks it will be better, 3 even better and so on.
Personally I sample one bottle of every beer I brew at one week for initial evaluation and note taking. Depending upon that sample I will determine when to drink some more. As I take copious notes of everything I do and usually brew most of my beers several times this gives me a baseline for the future so I know the second time around if a beer is even worth touching before a certain time. For example, I just finished bottling Revvy's Belgian Blonde for the second time and based on my first experience I won;t even sample this batch for at least 3-4 weeks
MichaelBrock
Well-Known Member
+1 on trying one now. I'm 15 batches into my brewing experience and I have tried every one at 1 week in the bottle (and every week after that until "ready"). No harm in it and I haven't regretted a single one.
Clonefan94
Senior Member
It sure does. Although, being myself as usual, as I'm drinking mine, I keep thinking, "Wow, this probably would have been really good if I actually gave it time to get some age." I kegged my first one at 3 weeks, and have been pulling sips off just about every night. Even the daily changes it goes through is kind of cool. It's sad that it probably won't last until it would taste the best.
I knew this going in though, that's why I brewed 3 in 3 weeks. This one will hopefully allow me to take the time with the others. Then start building a pipeline. It's kind of the sacrificial lamb of my homebrewing.
Yep -- It's a bad habit, but I can't help it. I'm an unabashed carboy thief too.
In fact, I'm going to go crack open a bitter that I bottled Sunday in solidarity. Cheers!
FuzzeWuzze
I Love DIY
Even though i bottle into 22oz bottles, i always make sure to fill 4 or so 12 oz bottles with the last of the beer from the bucket, for one im less likely to end up with a quarter of half filled 22, and secondly it gives me 4 12 oz bottles i can sample off of and not really feel bad if its not ready yet that i didnt 'waste' much beer.
Clonefan94
Senior Member
This seems like it's the good thing about kegging. You can always take a sip to see how it's going. Then again, it's a bad thing on my account. I have a feeling my little sips are going to lead to, "It's gone?" before it reaches maturity.
Even from my 1st batch,I've waited at least 3 weeks in the botles to sample one. Most of my pale ales are good at 4 weeks. Waiting IS the hardest part. But patience will be rewarded with better beer...& more of them left.
Whether knowingly or unknowingly, you make a good case for switching to kegs . . .
Well I broke down and tried my first bottle today, I couldn't wait anymore. I must say even though it was a little "green" it was rather tasty and I cannot wait until they condition more. I am looking forward to the next breakdown.
lgilmore
Well-Known Member
I think it is just fine to taste a bit early. What you may find as you brew more that you'll start waiting a longer and longer for that first taste.
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