Bottle conditioning

[Ludesbrews]

Hi all,

I bottled one week ago, and my in-laws are over tonight.

What would happen if we cracked a few open tonight?

Any carbonation?

Thanks in advance!

Ludesbrews

 

[flars]

You will most likely hear some CO2 escape when you open the bottle but have very little carbonation in the beer. Chill one beer and just offer a taste even though the beer will change quite a bit with maturation and full carbonation.

 

[MaxStout]

Do you have any other homebrews on hand that are fully conditioned? Better to offer your guests the best you have. The newer beer, with only one week in the bottle, will probably be a little flat. Tell them the newer beer is still aging and will be ready in a couple weeks. Then have your in-laws over again on New Years for new beers.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Open it and share it. Let them know it won't be quite ready yet, but I think it's a good idea to taste your creation at various points of its journey.

 

[kh54s10]

You can try one. It may have some carbonation. It will be young and will get better if you wait.

If you like flat beer, go for it.

 

[Lefou]

Unfinished bottle carbing might leave a definite Granny Smith Apple impression. It took about 2-3 weeks for my beers to clean up and most of them went 4 weeks.

 

[RM-MN]

It depends. It depends on the yeast you used, the temperature you stored the bottles, the recipe for the beer, etc. I've opened a few at one week to find them well carbonated but unable to make a decent head but after another couple weeks the remaining bottles headed up just fine. I'd guess that the main thing that will happen is that everyone will get a bit tipsy.

 

[jalc6927]

I usually open one at 7 days as a progress point, and because I’m impatient

As stated above you won’t get a true impression though

 

[thehaze]

My beers have decent carbonation at days 5-6, but it also depends on the style, amount of CO2 you want for the final beer, ABV.

But even if you have carbonation at that point, the beer will not be as good as it could be at day 20-25.

 

[PADave]

When I bottled, I would almost always try one at 7 days, and every time said to myself, it's not ready. Would try another after 2 weeks, it's getting there. Then after 3 weeks, ok, it's ready. I personally wouldn't share beer that wasn't ready. It's all about that initial impression.

 

[thehaze]

When I bottled, I would almost always try one at 7 days, and every time said to myself, it's not ready. Would try another after 2 weeks, it's getting there. Then after 3 weeks, ok, it's ready. I personally wouldn't share beer that wasn't ready. It's all about that initial impression.

I agree. Sharing beer that is not ready, will result in disappointment, especially for you, the brewer, unless you can explain the situation and maybe have them try again in 14 days.

 

[PADave]

I agree. Sharing beer that is not ready, will result in disappointment, especially for you, the brewer, unless you can explain the situation and maybe have them try again in 14 days.

That's if you have someone that has an open mind and will try it again. I've run into people that are reluctant to even try it because it "homebrew" and of course must be inferior. Serving someone not ready brew can cause them to form the perception that all homebrew must taste like that. Just human nature, the initial impression of anything is usually the lasting impression.