bottle conditioning

[techrunner]

ok, so i understand the bottle carbing issue, but i have a question regarding the aging of the beer. i have been trying a bottle every few days now, starting at the two week mark to get a feel for how the beer matures. if it reaches a carb level that i am happy with, should i just put everything in the fridge? i know that will stop the carb process, but will it also slow or stop the maturing of the flavors in the beer. will the flavors continue to get better regardless of temp? any thoughts? thanks

 

[Revvy]

Well, if you are happy with the flavor, not just the carb level chill some and enjoy...but I can guarantee that you will enjoy them even better if you wait. SO don't chill all of them and drink them quickly or you will miss out on some really tasty beer.

Read my blog Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning, for more info...

 

[Palefire]

i know that will stop the carb process, but will it also slow or stop the maturing of the flavors in the beer. will the flavors continue to get better regardless of temp? any thoughts? thanks

Well, after a while, even at 70 degrees, the beer won't carbonate any more anyway, since all the priming sugar you used will have been eaten by the yeast (EDIT: as is my understanding, at least). So it's not like you have to worry about over-carbed beer if you leave some bottles. But the flavors definitely do mature and meld, so I'd definitely recommend following Revvy's advice and leaving some out of the fridge.

When I make a beer I like, I usually toss 6 bottles or so in the back of the closet, to be opened later. Most of the time in 6-8 months they're friggin' awesome.

 

[BillyBroas]

If you are really anxious and happy with how they are now, then go ahead and chill. But definitely put a handful aside. Like Revy said, they will get better with age and you'll be happier than you are now.

 

[techrunner]

revvy, i have read your blog a few times, and thanks for taking the time to write it. i guess i was mostly surprised that the one i opened after a week and a half was carbed ok. which i suppose makes me wonder if i just had happy yeast, or a lot of sugar ended up in that bottle and others may have gotten very little. i guess i'll leave them all out and see how they mature on their own. its actually kinda funny because they are in the basement living room, since i don't have another good place temperature wise to put them. my 1 yr old son has a thing about taking the bottles carefully out of the sixer holders i have them in, lining them all up on the floor next to the holder, then putting them back into the holder just as carefully. kinda comical.