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rmolledo

rmolledo

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hello,
I just brewed my first batch of beer. Pale Ale.
I bottled the beer and was wondering about how long
it takes to become ready to drink. I understand that the longer it sits the better it tastes, but i'm anxious because this is my first!
 
When I used to bottle I found they were drinkable after 10 days or so after bottling, but were best after 2 weeks at least. Just not carbed enough that soon. Still tastes OK though and you can get a good idea of what it'll taste like when it's 100%.
 
I'd drink one a week, since it's your first batch. It'll give you an idea of how it changes over time.

I usually use at least one clear bottle, too. Then you can look at it to see when the yeast has dropped out and you know they won't taste yeasty then. That doesn't mean they're done conditioning, but it's something to look at anyway.
 
3 weeks is the norm....but let's face it. I managed to wait a whopping 2 weeks before I tasted my first brew and it damn near killed me to wait that long. Go ahead and cheat and sample one after a week. Just know it'll change and get better with time.
 
Apart from 'taking notes' on a few 'samples' :D
Let it sit about a month. Longer if possible, less if necessary.
 
i've been tasting in 3 day increments. today is the 12th day since bottling and the beer tastes good and has nice carbonation and head. i can definitely taste/see the difference with the more time that passes between tastings
 
I usually put a couple sample bottles in the fridge to chill after 3 weeks, but usually try to give it 2 or 3 more weeks after that before drinking any more.
 
rmolledo said:
i've been tasting in 3 day increments. today is the 12th day since bottling and the beer tastes good and has nice carbonation and head. i can definitely taste/see the difference with the more time that passes between tastings
Click to expand...

My question on this is: Are you drinking them warm? If not how long do you put them in the fridge for before you sample?
 
I'm on batch 7 now. I noticed a huge difference in quality since I switched to liquid yeast and switched to idosphore instead of c-bright for sani. My last hefeweizen tasted amazing just after 3 days in the bottle. That first batch was a disaster. I didn't let it ferment out all the way so it was super sweet and the ingredients were 2 years old.

Lately I've been testing the beers warm and cold
 
I always taste my first bottle at about 10 days. They usually are pretty well carbed by then and taste great. Then I wait 5-7 more days to taste the second bottle and it's always better by then. another 4-5 days in the bottle and most of my ales are nearing their prime. Then I chill them for several days until they show clear. That is the tops. Cheers!
 

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