2 weeks after bottling is not enough?

[dmfa200]

I've completed my first batch of American Amber Ale, and after nearly 4 weeks it's just now starting to taste good. It has really mellowed nicely.
The brewing instructions I followed said it should be ready 2 weeks after bottling. Lies!
Does anyone out there think their beer is ready after 2 weeks?

 

[Gman2]

My first batch has been in the bottles for 3 weeks and still needs about 2 more. It is still flat and a little rough. Every week it gets better though. Everything I have read on here says that you need at least 3 weeks, but they advertise it will be ready in 1 week for marketing purposes.

 

[dmfa200]

Yeah, I think it's misleading cause I was really excited about drinking my own beer. But when I tried the first one after 2 weeks I was seriously disappointed.
I thought I had screwed up somewhere.
I know people would be less inclined to start brewing if they knew right away it would take at least a month to enjoy the fruit of their labors, plus the anticipation.

 

[thezepster]

I did the same thing with my first batch. I tried it after 2 weeks bottle conditioning and it had a lot of off tastes. I waited 2 more weeks and it was 100% better. Just gotta be patient!

 

[Brewman79]

Some beers age quicker.I try 1 every week,just to see how the taste changes.

 

[JJL]

I think they tell beginning homebrewers that 2 weeks is enough so they don't get discouraged. I never even touch mine until 3 weeks minimum. High gravity is more like 3 months.

 

[JetSmooth]

Totally depends on the beer. I have a blonde ale that was nicely carbonated and tasted fab after only a week in the bottle. And I primed with DME, which is supposed to take a longer time than corn sugar.

I still am leaving it another two week, to see if it mellows more. Tomorrow, I will open one more bottle to see how it is at the two week mark.

 

[DavidHawman]

If you primary the beer for longer, I think the beer is ready quicker. My first batch I primaried for a month and it was drinkable in a week. Second batch I primaried for over a month and it too was drinkable in a week. I'd say they were more than drinkable, they were delicious. Sure they improved as they've aged but the longer primary helped. I

 

[Boondoggie]

3 weeks @ 70*

get antsy before then? brew another batch. it's easier to wait when you have other tasty stuff to drink.

 

[Malticulous]

Pretty much every beer I've bottled was ready in less than two weeks. Most don't ever get any better.

 

[Nurmey]

This is a prime reason that rushing to bottle doesn't do you much good. I bulk age all my beers for a month or more before I bother to bottle. That way by the time they are carbonated, they also taste good enough to drink.

 

[Justibone]

Pretty much every beer I've bottled was ready in less than two weeks. Most don't ever get any better.

This crushed my hope for my Mexican Lager. *sigh*

 

[glenn514]

Just the other day, I drank a bottle of my second brew, a Liberty Cream Ale. It was MUCH smoother and tasted better than I recalled about two months ago! It was pretty decent as a young beer; it's now awesome! Gonna have to brew another batch of that and let it sit!

glenn514

 

[Daparish]

I find it helpful to always taste a sample of my beer after being bottled for 1, 2 and 3 weeks respectively. Usually at 3 weeks, it's fully carbed and conditioned, so at 1 and 2 weeks I get the idea of how the beer is maturing and exactly what to look for in the future to determine if my beerr, or anyone else's, is still "green".

Most of my beers have been great at 3 weeks, and good at 2. Unless you've got a really delicate brew like a Weizen, more time in the bottle will only let the flavors come together more.

 

[sysera]

The only beer that never seemed to change 'much' after an extended period of time in the bottle, meaning 1-3 months, was a Honey Brown.

The rest have all benefited from some extra time. While most beer is 'ready' after two weeks, it's not necessarily at it's peak flavor. It's simply 'carbonated' after two weeks. Imo.

My second batch of beer ever was a MASSIVE Belgian Ale, and I'm still drinking it. It's almost 8 months old. I take one or two out a month, and it's better EVERY time I try it.

 

[slowbie]

How long did you wait after brewing before bottling? My last three batches have all been bottled 4ish weeks after brewing and have all been good after two weeks in bottles. In fact, I don't think any of them have gotten better since that two week point, although one has just barely made it to three weeks past bottling so it's a little early to tell.

EDIT: Worth mentioning that my first batch had a little bit of off flavors that did fade significantly with age, but the batches I mentioned didn't have bad off flavors.

 

[Bru]

Wheres Revvy when we need him ?
I find a week is drinkable but two weeks ideal, in summer. Winter takes three weeks.

 

[billc68]

I think the kits companies are ruining their ow business by telling people they are ready in 1 week after bottling. YES it is drinkable in 1 week, but no it is not going to be very good.

My last few brews were 4 months in the bottle.

The problem is, beginner brewers try one or two kits then decide they do not like homebrew and apparently neither do any of their neighbors. My neighbors were the same they are coming around now after trying a few of mine. One may start brewing soon.

 

[torque2k]

Many of the brewer supply company kits (such as those from Northern Brewer or Austin Homebrew Supplies) tell you to wait at least two weeks before testing; they know you'll be back to order more if they help you make a good beer! They make much more on their own kits than if they were to sell you a Brewer's Best kit.

Different beers behave differently in the bottle, such is life. My Extra Pale Ale (from NB) was good after two weeks, clarified after at least three, and then started to lose aroma and gain bitterness after two months. Light ales really should be consumed fairly quickly, but that's offset by the fact that they temper quickly in the bottle. My Scottish 70 Shilling Ale, though, is darker, less bitter, so has grown better in the bottle after three months (very clear, nice head retention, no odd aftertastes).

The amount of priming sugar added really makes a difference, as well. The standard kit will say add 5oz of corn sugar to five gallons of brew, but that number should be adjusted to the type of beer. 4.25oz for my IPA was just right, and 4oz for my 70/- seems perfect.

How you pour makes a diff, too. The old way of "sliding it down the side of the glass" doesn't make much sense with ales, as you want that frothy head to build a bit in the glass in order to make the aroma of the hops come out of suspension. Halfway into the pour, pick up the bottle a bit and let it hit the center of the glass. Compare the smell to one you've carefully poured down the side of the glass; the more frothy pour will wake up your tastebuds for sure!

Anyway, it's going to be drinkable at most points in the bottle. The subtle differences really start showing after different times depending on the style of beer you've brewed. There's no hard-and-fast rule, but that's what the kit directions tend to show. Too bad.