Time elapsed from pitching to drinking

I just started into the hobby 3 months ago and have been extract brewing so far. At the start, I had hoped that home brewing would make good beer, but dang - it is far better than production and commercial craft beers.

The topic is covered in many books and posts. I want to compare how long it takes for your beers to get to that "I want another one of those" stage.

The time-to-great-taste is 7 weeks for me for the first 4 batches. Sooner than that and they have had green beer off-flavors. After that - holy crap !! really, really good. I ended up with a 1-1-5 schedule for the first 3 brews, and a 2-1-4 on the 4th one.

7 weeks until my bottled beers are "ready". Can you compare?

7 to 8 weeks sounds about right. Although when I started focusing more on quality fermentation, that green beer flavor went away even in my young beers. They still taste better after a few weeks of aging, but are good right out of the gate most of the time. Aging is style specific to some degree though. Wheat beers and lighter hoppy pale ales are generally better young. Higher gravity beer can take months, or even years to really peak.
Proper aeration, pitching rates and temperature control are the big factors in a good, clean fermentation. Also, for me, doing away with the "secondary" step seemed to clean things up. Make your yeast happy, and they return the favor!!

My schedule is different than yours, but probably due to the 60 degree temperature I'm fermenting at for the first two weeks, with the first week in a swamp cooler.

3-4 weeks fermenting.
3 weeks bottle conditioning.
1 week in the refrigerator.

There's the same 7-8 weeks as yours, but mine spend more time in the primary fermenter, and yours spend more time bottle conditioning. FWIW, I don't detect any off flavors or odors when I crack open the first bottle of the batch.

I do pretty much what evreyone has mentioned already.

3-4 weeks in the fermenter
3-4 weeks in the bottle ( or more)
a few days in the fridge.

This is for most beers, but really big beers and most of my Belgians go a lot longer in both the fermenter and in the bottles. Think months instead of weeks.

7 to 8 weeks seems to work really, really well.

I'm to the point where I don't "check" one until it has bottle conditioned at least 3 weeks and then had some fridge time.

Rick (patiently waiting till the 19th on my next batch of bitter)

I just started am just going to keg, so I was wondering about everybody's time frame for kegging?

from pitch to glass i plan 6 weeks minimum but the 7th and 8th weeks can take a good beer to a great place.

cank said:

I just started am just going to keg, so I was wondering about everybody's time frame for kegging?

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no change in my timeline. while you can carb it faster there is no way to condition it faster.

cank said:

I just started am just going to keg, so I was wondering about everybody's time frame for kegging?

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3-5 weeks depending on yeast and OG. My Tiny Bottom Pale Ale spends 10 days in primary and 4 days in the keg before I start drinking it, but it takes another couple days to drop fully bright.

I was told how giving 3 weeks for fermentation and 3 weeks for conditioning was ideal and began with that unless it was a wheat. But I've had some IPA's that tasted much different a week later.

Now I give a wheat beer 3 weeks, average beers 4 weeks, and IPA's 5 weeks fermentation. And I give them all 4 weeks conditioning time.

I also went from a 2-3 days in the fridge to a week.

I'm liking the results so far.

I admire all of you with the patience to wait 8 weeks! My last batch, an APA, was in the fermenter for 4 weeks, the bottle for 1 week, and the fridge for 4 hours before I sampled. Now, a week later, I have moved all bottles to the fridge where I will drink at my leisure.

I'm currently fermenting an IPA (Green Flash clone) and will probably ferment for 4 weeks before bottling. I usually don't make it much past a week once they're bottled though!

JohnK93 said:

I usually don't make it much past a week once théey're bottled though!

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Sounds like you need a larger pipeline of work in progress so you're not so tempted.

Can't argue with that! I'm working on it.

Depends on the beer for me. I have an IIPA that goes from 1.079 to 1.009 and its great 5-6 weeks after pitching the yeast. I ferment for 14 days, dry hop for 5, then bottle carbonate and condition with more yeast for 3 weeks. It's drinkable at 1.5 weeks but best at 3. After that, the hop aroma begins to fade and it becomes any other IPA, nothing special.

Then I have a Brown Ale with an OG of 1.054 that's best after fermenting for about a month and bottle conditioned for another month and half, at the very least. This one only gets better with age. It's one of those where the last bottle is always the best, even after 4 months of having brewed it.

I'm pretty strict about pitching rates, aeration, and temperature control with most of my batches, so like I said, for me it depends on the beer I'm making and keeping those three things under control. Just because its a high OG beer doesn't mean it must age longer.

I only added time to my IPA's because of the incident with one where after 3 weeks/3 weeks/3 days it tasted similar to a Ranger IPA, but a week later it morphed into something else, and took a while to settle down. So I figured I'd bypass any morphing stages and get to what I can try one night and have someone over next week without worrying if it'll be as I said it was.

One of the great things about kegging is the ability to have just a sip every few days and see first hand how it is doing. I think the bottom line is "ferment" isn't something brewers do, it's something yeast do. It's not really a choice we make, once we pitch the yeast we are along for the ride. We make many choices that influence their performance, but ultimately they are in control and there is no one size fits all answer that is the best time frame. Once the yeast are done most beers benefit from aging, some more than others. Again, flavor is the only rule. It's done when it tastes right. Style, gravity, yeast strain, temperature, pitch rate, aeration, grain bill, hop profile and other variables all combine for the final result. It really is impossible to set a schedule for when a beer will be at it's best. It sure is fun trying though!!!

Demus said:

One of the great things about kegging is the ability to have just a sip every few days and see first hand how it is doing. I think the bottom line is "ferment" isn't something brewers do, it's something yeast do. It's not really a choice we make, once we pitch the yeast we are along for the ride. We make many choices that influence their performance, but ultimately they are in control and there is no one size fits all answer that is the best time frame. Once the yeast are done most beers benefit from aging, some more than others. Again, flavor is the only rule. It's done when it tastes right. Style, gravity, yeast strain, temperature, pitch rate, aeration, grain bill, hop profile and other variables all combine for the final result. It really is impossible to set a schedule for when a beer will be at it's best. It sure is fun trying though!!!

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Can also be a bad thing, at least for me on the first couple of brews. "Hmm, not that great, hmm, still not that great, a little better, hmmm, still just OK, OK, now that's more like it, Hey, where'd my beer go?"

About the second part of your post though, I agree completely. That, to me, is what is so great about brewing your own beer. Take some decent notes, take some good tasting notes, then, the next time you brew that beer you can try something a little different to see how it improves. Really, the only way to know what works best, is to brew more beer and try for yourself.

I never touch a beer in less than eight weeks, and it's often a little (or a lot, depending on gravity) longer than that.

I'd rather wait longer and enjoy great beer than open one early and think "this is good... a little green, but good."

3-4 weeks primary for me, 1-2 weeks secondary, 3-4 weeks bottled. 12 weeks is not at all uncommon for me.

Hmm...I'm gonna ask a dumb question. What does additional time in the fridge do? I would think that once the beer reaches the ideal temp, additional cold time doesn't do anything for the beer. I couldn't find anything in Palmer's Bottling section (http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11-8.html. Honestly, I haven't been able to keep a homebrew in the fridge for more than a couple days before it's been drank or given away! I Keep them in the basement (68 degrees F) until the day before I think I'm going to drink em...

I'm not sure that extra fridge times does much of anything other than make certain the beer is well carbed. But I do it anyway (usually). I guess it's more of an overall time thing.

4JBrew said:

Hmm...I'm gonna ask a dumb question. What does additional time in the fridge do? I would think that once the beer reaches the ideal temp, additional cold time doesn't do anything for the beer. I couldn't find anything in Palmer's Bottling section (http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11-8.html. Honestly, I haven't been able to keep a homebrew in the fridge for more than a couple days before it's been drank or given away! I Keep them in the basement (68 degrees F) until the day before I think I'm going to drink em...

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Gets more CO2 into solution. The CO2 is already there in the bottles, but cooler temps force it into the liquid, resulting in a better pour. Cracking open a bottle at 68 degrees means you lose a lot of CO2 as soon as the lid comes off.

I thought that 3 days was about all it needed in the fridge.
I guess I can't say I've paid enough attention to the difference a week has made...

homebrewdad said:

Gets more CO2 into solution. The CO2 is already there in the bottles, but cooler temps force it into the liquid, resulting in a better pour. Cracking open a bottle at 68 degrees means you lose a lot of CO2 as soon as the lid comes off.

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Cold conditioning allows for more particulates to fall out of the beer, making it both brighter and usually better flavored. You can call it lagering, and yes, it does help ale too. Cheers!

Good God Almighty! I just cracked open a pale ale that was a bit overcarbed and sitting in the fridge a couple of months and it virtually exploded in the glass once I poured a little!

From grain to glass.....6 weeks. I do drink the hydro sample before I start bottling

3-4 weeks primary
3 weeks + in bottles

I only move a few into the fridge at a time that way the trub settles more in the conditioning stage. A few days in the fridge and my trub is pretty stable on the bottom. I can almost turn the bottle upside down w/o getting much into the glass. Good to the last DROP! LOL

4JBrew said:

Hmm...I'm gonna ask a dumb question. What does additional time in the fridge do? I would think that once the beer reaches the ideal temp, additional cold time doesn't do anything for the beer. I couldn't find anything in Palmer's Bottling section (http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11-8.html. Honestly, I haven't been able to keep a homebrew in the fridge for more than a couple days before it's been drank or given away! I Keep them in the basement (68 degrees F) until the day before I think I'm going to drink em...

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You know, I can't describe nor have I ever seen a technical description describing what happens to a beer when you age it cool/cold. I can however say with confidence that it improves. You'll just have to muster up some will power and try it out some time!!

I have no problem chilling a beer for 30 minutes in the freezer and drinking it, but I notice the ones that sit in the fridge for days or even weeks pour much clearer and have a cleaner taste. I assume those proteins that cause chill haze drop out and more yeast and other particles drop as well, making a nice tight sediment at the bottom of the bottle. As if I hadn't waited long enough to have a drink of the beer I made, another thing I sometimes do is pull the bottle out of the fridge after it has been in there for a week and let it sit on the counter to warm for about 10 minutes. I pour at a more appropriate serving temperature and it is then, that I feel I am getting the best appearance, taste, and aroma from my beer. Is it worth it? Maybe, maybe not. Like I said, 30 minutes in the freezer and I'm happy with my homebrew. I don't enter it in competitions. I just want to make good beer to drink and share with people. When I want more of a wow! factor, I'll go through these extra steps.

Ya know it just hit me. If beer is liquid bread then perhaps we should not be going for a clear beer. How much of the "bread" nutrients are in the proteins we are trying to get to drop to the bottom?

C-Rider said:

Ya know it just hit me. If beer is liquid bread then perhaps we should not be going for a clear beer. How much of the "bread" nutrients are in the proteins we are trying to get to drop to the bottom?

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Unless you worship Doc Atkins

When bottling, on average:

1.5 to 4 weeks in primary (depending on whether a secondary is used)
1.5 to 2 weeks in secondary (optional)
2 to 2.5 weeks for carbing at room temp.
Refrigerate until cold (a couple hours)

= A minimum of 5 weeks and a maximum of 6.5 weeks, on average.

Nevertheless, I have noticed the beers clear up more, and become more refined flavorwise, with an additional week or two in the refrigerator... even for hoppy American IPAs. I can't explain why. But I definitely see, taste, and smell the difference. So if you're including cold conditioning in the refrigerator, you're looking at 7-8 weeks total.

C-Rider said:

Ya know it just hit me. If beer is liquid bread then perhaps we should not be going for a clear beer. How much of the "bread" nutrients are in the proteins we are trying to get to drop to the bottom?

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My gym ratt/health nut middle son dropped a bomb on me last week. In his studies,he found that the alcohol blocks the absorption of B vitamins in the yeast. So much for that part...

cank said:

I just started am just going to keg, so I was wondering about everybody's time frame for kegging?

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If you follow Bobby m's set and forget method, it's pretty much the same timeframe for cabing as average grav bottled beers, three weeks. But it still may be green tasting.

OP, my timeframes 7-8 weeks a well. A month in primary and however long it takes the beer to carb and conditioned. Most beers of mine, regardless of kegging or bottling, take about 3-4 weeks after.

Same here,7-8 weeks from kettle to glass on average.

I am still drinking a batch from Nov. A pipeline is a wonderful thing. I brew a beer and forget it until I have enough bottles to bottle it. This might be 2 weeks or it might be a month. I bottle it and stick it behind my chair and then move a batch into the cellar for aging at 45 degrees. Again could be 2 weeks or a month. Then toss a case of it into the fridge and drink.

I do not try and hurry things along and I am most definitely in the set and forget camp. I figure the yeast know what they are doing and as long as I have given them a nice place to work in I will have a good beer.

Before I got the pipe line going though my beer sucked kind of. 2 weeks fermenting and 2 weeks carbing is not enough

unionrdr said:

My gym ratt/health nut middle son dropped a bomb on me last week. In his studies,he found that the alcohol blocks the absorption of B vitamins in the yeast. So much for that part...

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I've read that in studies and other places time and time again, most of them saying basically the same thing:

"The nutrients protein, carbohydrates, and fat can be stored in our bodies, but alcohol cannot. For this reason, it takes priority over everything else in order to be metabolized; doing so means that all of the other processes that should be taking place are being interrupted. Other nutrients need to be broken up prior to being absorbed, whereas alcohol is absorbed as is." From WebMD I believe.

Therefore, the absorption of the good nutrients stops or drastically slows when alcohol is consumed. I never commented before on posts where people talk about the health benefits of beer and the yeast we consume, which is said to be so rich in vitamin B, because I tend to ignore them. You have it all wrong if you're turning to beer for sources of nutrition. Now if you want a tasty beverage that'll make you feel good, have at it.

Alcohol also messes with your triglyceride levels (fat in the blood). This increases overall cholesterol. You could have a very healthy diet, but if you often partake in moderate to high alcohol consumption, then you may also have high triglyceride levels. Regular exercise and high doses of Omega 3 supplements (800-1600 mg EPA & 600-1200 mg DHA) help to lower those levels somewhat.