Aging and Kegging

[HelperMunkee]

2 parter.

I recently made a blonde ale that initially had a lot of "strawberry" flavor. Not the first time I've had this flavor in a blonde.

10# 2-row
.5# Crystal 10
1.5 oz Saaz @ 60
.25 oz Saaz @ 15
.25 oz Saaz @ 5

Aging seems to be helping. Anyone ever had that, or see a reason for it?

Second part. How do you guys age when kegging. I've been spending 4 weeks in primary and putting it on the gas. Should I be doing 6 in the primary then kegging?

Note, I'm not averse to time and I don't use a secondary unless it's longer than 6 weeks.

 

[Piratwolf]

I dunno if I'd use "strawberry" but I've definitely gotten a bit of slightly fruity sweetness from C10 before. And 5% crystal is right on the edge (for my taste, anyway) of too much. I'm redoing my IPA recipes to drop down to 3.5%, FWIW.

 

[chickypad]

Yeast and temp?

 

[HelperMunkee]

I used S05 in this one (and almost always do for everything, unless style dictates).

I've got a pretty efficient fermentation chamber that allows me to dial in temperature pretty damn well.

Temp of carboy (not ambient) never exceeded 68. Generally held this one at 66.

I find that S05 gives off a fruity esters below 64. Seems like it does it's best work right at 68 IMO.

 

[chickypad]

so shouldn't be the S-05 at 66 controlled
(don't you mean you get the esters at higher temps though?)

 

[daveooph131]

I do the same 4 week primary then straight to keg...carb...and drink.

 

[HelperMunkee]

No; there was a few times that I tried S05 at extremely low temperatures (60-64) in an attempt to approximate lagering and found that I got some pretty extreme esters (not banana/clove, but fruity).