Beer Conditioning

[billymeter]

So beer has to condition when you bottle it for several weeks so the yeast can do it's thing.

But I've heard if you keg, and you "force carbonate", then your beer is ready to drink as soon as you get it cold.

So does the beer not have to condition if you keg? Or is the beer already conditioned from being in the fermenter and when you add priming sugar the yeast has to re-condition?

 

[killian]

It depends, some styles can be consumed fresh like a hefe or some hop forward beers. most other beers need longer to mature. Just because you can force carb and drink doesnt mean that it is the best thing for the flavor of the beer

 

[ifishsum]

If you force carbonate green beer, you'll just have carbonated green beer

I recently started kegging, but I still prime and condition my kegs for a couple of weeks at room temperature before chilling and serving. It's really no different than bottle aging, just because you can carbonate quicker doesn't mean the beer ages quicker.

 

[Arkador]

So beer has to condition when you bottle it for several weeks so the yeast can do it's thing.

That is carbonating, not conditioning.

Alot of beers will be bottle carbonated in 2-3 weeks, but not taste at their prime for several more weeks or even months.

With Kegging, the only thing that changes is how you dispence and how the carbonation gets added. Conditioning time does not change.

 

[billymeter]

Thanks for the responses everyone, I figured kegging didn't change the amount of time it takes beer to condition, but I just heard from many people at my LHBS that you can start drinking kegged beer as soon as it gets cold.

 

[Arkador]

Thanks for the responses everyone, I figured kegging didn't change the amount of time it takes beer to condition, but I just heard from many people at my LHBS that you can start drinking kegged beer as soon as it gets cold.

That is true, if you brew a style that does not need to condition. a Heffewizen is usually ready to drink as soon as it is carbed and cold.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/bavarian-wheat-hefeweizen-hybrid-93517/ was kegged in 8 days and ready to serve 3 days later.