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age to long

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dwigbrew

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Mar 7, 2011
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Elkhart
simple question can you age for to long? I have had a batch in the secondary going on 3 months. been real busy with work to find time to bottle :( can this beer go bad?
 
dwigbrew said:
simple question can you age for to long? I have had a batch in the secondary going on 3 months. been real busy with work to find time to bottle :( can this beer go bad?

Sure it CAN go bad. But I wouldn't think 3 months is too long. Now, if you left too much headspace, racked sloppy, or exposed your beer to pathogens or sunlight during those 3 months, then yes. Otherwise it's like a big bottle. Taste a sample and see.
 
It can't "go bad" just because you've left it in a secondary...it can go bad if it gets infected. But a beer can get infective whether it's one day in primary, or months in a secondary, it has nothign to do with the time in a vessel.

A secondary is traditonally used to bulk age beer and wines, so their supposed to be in there for a long time. I have a barleywine in secondary for a year, since it's not going to be drunk for 4 more years, till I turn 50, I'm really in no hurry to bottle it.

Your beer is going to ba amazingly clear and tasty when you are ready to drink it.
 
It will be fine. I've lagered up to 9 months before and I've left an ale in the primary for 6 months. They were both very tasty. I'm not saying that longer is always better but you'll be fine.
 
After talking about it, I had to pull a sample. It's one year anniversary of it's brewday was this week.

294250_10150307659559067_620469066_7954821_2080317976_n.jpg


17.5% abv baby, and still needs some time to mellow.
 
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