Bottle Conditioning

[wesd25]

So my IPA has been sitting in 68-70 degree temp for 4 weeks now, how long should i let the bottles condition cold now before i drink?

Also how long will a homebrew stay good?
Thanks

 

[Upthewazzu]

You can stick it in the fridge today and drink tomorrow. Ideally, you'd let it wait in the fridge for a week but really the taste won't be affected, just the clarity (a bit).

 

[RM-MN]

So my IPA has been sitting in 68-70 degree temp for 4 weeks now, how long should i let the bottles condition cold now before i drink?

Also how long will a homebrew stay good?
Thanks

Do you mean you have had the bottled beer sitting at 68-70 for 4 weeks? In that case, 24 to 48 hours and you're ready. If you just bottled, then you want the bottles sitting where it is warm for at least 3 weeks to mature before you chill them.

I don't know how long it will stay good but I intend to drink a 2 year old oatmeal stout tonight and I'll expect it to be darn good. Your IPA will lost the hop aroma long before that though. 2 to 4 months and there won't be much aroma left.

 

[bobbrews]

I have found this time frame to be ideal for clear, aromatic IPAs with no off-flavors:

Primary: 10-24 days at 60-66 F, rising slowly as the days increase.
Secondary (or Primary): 7-14 days @ 66-68 F. Add the dryhop during the last 7-10 days.
Bottles: 2.5 weeks at 68-72 F.
Refrigerator: 1-2 weeks promotes clearing and refines flavor with little to no negative impact on aroma.

Before or after dryhopping (depending on your preference/methods), you could cold crash for 5-7 days for a clearer beer. That is, keep the beer in the 30s (F) so that most of the suspended matter drops, though this step is optional. I still get clear beers if I skip the cold crash and use a medium-high to high floc yeast strain along with whirlfloc in the boil. Just be careful not to agitate the carboy after fermentation. Adequate time and patience are really the most effective clearing agents and contributors to attaining better quality beer.

Within reason, the beer shouldn't really go bad per se. But for optimal flavor/aroma you want to drink a bottled IPA within two to three months tops, if possible.

 

[darrenbrews]

For most brews most suggest to bottle 2-3 weeks. I've just decided to expand my standard bottling period to 4 weeks for hopefully better flavor and carbonation.

 

[bobbrews]

A week of extra carbing time won't boost flavor in an IPA. And it will only help with further carbonation if your bottle priming temperature is lower than normal, e.g. low 60s.

If anything, an extra week or two of refrigerating after carbing will help to refine the flavor. Short conditioning IPAs at cold temps. is more beneficial than conditioning them at room temp.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I really feel it needs to be in the bottle a minimum of 3 weeks before drinking. But in the fridge, really just long enough to get cold.

 

[BigFloyd]

I go 3-4 weeks (at 70*F) on the bottle conditioning for typical brews. I am letting a darker batch (a dunkel) go a few weeks longer right now. The chocolate stout in my fermenter right now will probably get 4 months if I can be that patient.

3+ days in the fridge is what I shoot for if possible. It tends to make the bottom trub compact a bit better and seems to me to result in a better head/smaller bubbles/better lacing.