Aging beer - how long?

[mikesmith1611]

Just wondering if any one cab tell me how kong after bottling/barreling when beer is at its best. I know it is probably different for types of beers but a general break down for types if beers woukd be good,
Thanks

 

[unionrdr]

Any ales up to mid gravity are best ime at 4-5 weeks. Big stouts,barley wines,& strong ales can take up to a year or more. With barley wines taking the longest,being the highest gravity.

 

[cfonnes]

Many fine brewers on here say that hoppy APAs and IPAs are better young, I disagree. I just finished a 10 gallon batch of a Cascade APA, at about 10 weeks it got noticeably better, smoother and more melded.

 

[duboman]

As a general rule of thumb the higher the gravity the longer they take to fully condition, however things like Hefe are actually better, younger, I really enjoy mine around 3-4 weeks.

It's not that the beers aren't drinkable if aged longer they just might not have reached their prime.

 

[DrVertebrae]

Taste it. If it tastes good, enjoy. If you feel like it could be better or has some off flavor, let it sit for a while longer. My small amount of experience has found that any thing I don't like in the flavor usually goes away after more aging. Had one that had a strong banana smell and flavor. After another week it disappeared and I had another of the same batch this past week and it just gets better and better. My ales are going to sit for quite a while from now on.

To me the bigger question is how long to let them age at the higher room temperature versus cold temps.

 

[LKABrewer]

Same answer. If it tastes done, cool them down. They will still age cold, just slower.

 

[unionrdr]

In my more recent brewing adventures this past winter,colder conditioning temps can not only slow down carbonation,but even nearly stop it. On a couple brews,warming them up had little to no effect. So keeping to that 70F aging temp is indeed important.
My capper seems to be ok,the bottles are always clean,...? So I can only assume it's the lower temp that,over time going unchecked,can ruin the carbonation. And part of the flavor/aroma profile.