Definition of Green Beer

Just curious, what is everyone's definition of Green Beer for a typical Ale (smaller beer)

Less than 4 weeks?
Less than 6 weeks?
Less than 8 weeks?

I consider your average ale (~ 4-5% abv) green if it's under 3 weeks. You can drink it then, and it tastes good, but if you wait, it will taste much better. I always save a 6er of my brews for at least 2 months and I'm always amazed at how much better it is then. I just can't bring myself to make it all last that long.

It depends. I'd say most beer is no longer green four weeks after bottling, but bigger beers take longer. I tried a bottle of my trappist on new year's eve, and it was good, but it's got a loooong way to go to be all the way there. I'm going to try to make it until the end of January before I try another bottle.

It almost seems like it would be possible to come up with some kind of math equation that would create a relationship between OG and length of time to no longer be green. Here's a basic one:

For every 0.001 above 1.000 for the original gravity, the beer needs one day from brewing before it is no longer green.

So a typical pale ale in the 1.045 range would need about six and a half weeks to be ready. That seems reasonable. Meanwhile, my 1.076 trappist would need two and a half months. Hey, I think I'm on to something! :rockin:

I think you may be onto something, but keep in mind that there are other factors at play then just ABV. Ingredients used will play a big role. Honey takes longer to ferment than malt, and the use of spices, fruits, or flavorings will affect conditioning time too.

- magno

green for me is beer up to the point it taste good... no sooner no later.. haha

Apparently, green beer is very dangerous...wait for it to finish conditioning!

Bad juju, only three leaves on the clover.

Green beer is best thought of as off-flavors. Acetaldehyde - A flavor of green apples or freshly cut pumpkin, Yeasty, and Diacetyl - most often described as a butter or butterscotch flavor.

david_42 said:

Green beer is best thought of as off-flavors. Acetaldehyde - A flavor of green apples or freshly cut pumpkin, Yeasty, and Diacetyl - most often described as a butter or butterscotch flavor.

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I have never thought of green beer as having "off" flavors ... I thought it meant that the beer just wasn't "done" yet, as in ... the flavors not having sufficient time to meld. Every beer is "green" at first ... as it ages its gets good.

All beer is good beer, even bad beer. (Just don't ask me to drink **** beer)
Now great beer is something else!

orfy said:

All beer is good beer, even bad beer. (Just don't ask me to drink **** beer)
Now great beer is something else!

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I used to think that about pizza. Now I don't think that's true (ever try pizza from Pizza Hut or Papa John's lately? Yech!)

so these flavors, best described as young flavors, mellow out over time and become more balanced

That comes under the definition of "****" beer. BMC.

If it's hot sunny and I'm thirsty and there is no good Cider then I'd take a BMC but I don't even class it as beer. At not least my definition of beer.
I'm even fussier about my food than my beer. (I think)
I know what you mean about Pizza, I'm very fussy. I make my own quite often in a wood fired oven. There is a local Turkish take away that do a good pizza for a good price. I can't think of one good reason to go to a pizza hut. I'm afraid that the people who go mustn't mind being ripped off for substandard product.

musicman said:

so these flavors, best described as young flavors, mellow out over time and become more balanced

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That's right.

Some people will taste a beer after two weeks and be disappointed so they are reluctant to drink it. When the come back 4 weeks later they're usually very suprised.

mmditter said:

I used to think that about pizza. Now I don't think that's true (ever try pizza from Pizza Hut or Papa John's lately? Yech!)

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Hehe, personally I am still trying to find good pizza. Either they make it too cheesy for my tastes here or they screw up the crust. I end up making my own, but I gotta build a wood fired oven to improve on it.

As for the beer, I am often amazed at the progress of flavors in the conditioning process. I am now in the habit of taking tasting notes when I bottle (using the beer from the hydro tube) and then try to compare that with 1 tasted at a week of bottling, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, etc. Some flavors just literally disappear...it is the coolest thing. This is one of the reasons folks are careful about HSA and such other things....you don't want something that won't go away. But, like is being discussed here, there are many things that most folks just don't like that leave. I had an APA that I made and it had a buttery tone from the diacteyl to it that lingered (and was quite pronounced in the beer). I did not like that. At about 2 weeks and into the 3rd week after bottling it just started to disappear. By around the 4th week it was gone.

zoebisch01 said:

Hehe, personally I am still trying to find good pizza. Either they make it too cheesy for my tastes here or they screw up the crust. I end up making my own, but I gotta build a wood fired oven to improve on it.

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I use a stone plate on one side of the BBQ and a fire on the other then after the smokes finished drop the lid and it gets to 400



I'm gonna start a pizza thread. I wish I han't got the Salmon out now for tonights dinner!