conditioning

Many people say after bottling or kegging to let a beer condition. Some people primary and bottle after 2 weeks. Would a month primary and force carbing a keg be the same as 2 week primary and 2 week condition? When does conditioning start? In the bottle? In the FV? If I cold crash for a week is that conditioning? How long is a good amount of time to condition an IPA? I know some hop flavor and aroma will be lost over time, so how long is too long for an IPA to condition before being consumed?

 

Well,I think that conditioning starts at FG,when the yeast have eaten all the sugars & start on their own fermentation by products. but real conditioning is in the bottles or keg while carbonating& settling,imo. Conditioning flavors & aromas takes about a week longer than carbonating ime.

 

I think conditioning involves just giving the beer time to "come together". I also think a lot depends on taste. I usually do a 3 week primary and then bottle or keg. Bottling is great for conditioning because I won't crack one for 3 weeks, so it's generally pretty good. Kegging, on the other hand, allows me to drink quicker but I find the flavor isn't best until about week 4 in the keg (I think the cold slows this down).

Regarding IPA's - that's a style that's best young, so I drink it as soon as it's carbed. "Big beers" - high ABV - conversely, are meant to age, so I have a dubbel that I'm not planning to crack until at least 6 weeks in bottles. This is also how I decide to bottle or keg - better to wait = bottle.