So I just finished my first batch, it has fermented, been bottled and has sit for the past week carbonating (had a bottle last night and it was great!) my question is; do i have to keep it in the fridge for the next three weeks to condition, or can i leave it up in the attic?
conditioning beer
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Moonpile
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What temp is your attic? Attics usually fluctuate in temperature more than I would want for beer storage.
Do you have a basement? Even just an out of the way closet or something? Since your bottles are already carbed up, anyplace with a steady temp from 50 to room temp would be fine for the next two weeks. If they hadn't carbed, then you'd want to be more like room temp.
After that time you can keep them in the fridge.
Do you have a basement? Even just an out of the way closet or something? Since your bottles are already carbed up, anyplace with a steady temp from 50 to room temp would be fine for the next two weeks. If they hadn't carbed, then you'd want to be more like room temp.
After that time you can keep them in the fridge.
EricK The Red
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cola said:
Beer can "age" and mellow a bit. Beer that's too new can have harsh contrasts between flavors, undesirable flavors etc.
I just kegged a Pale Ale that's 2 weeks old and it's OK, but it'll be much better in another few weeks.
Passload
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cola said:
Well, conditioning does many things. It mellow the green taste of new beer. It lets all the different flavors come through, the smells, and character.
ryan_boc
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Conditioning will work magic on some beers. I made a porter once that tasted like laughing gas (don't know why) after it finished carbing. I gave it two weeks to condition, and it turned out to be the best porter I've ever had. No laughing gas taste at all.
Actually you shouldn't stick them into the fridge till they've been in the bottles at room temp for at least 3 weeks if you want any carbonation. You don't want to kill the yeasties off until they've provide enough co2 for a good carbonation, and clear. Then you chill them down for 2 days, which will "cold crash" them and clear them even more...
cola said:
Beermaking has a lot of similitarities to food and cooking.... Ever notice that some foods, like spagetti sauces, soups or chili's taste better as leftovers then they do when you take them first off the stove? The ingredients have to "marry" and co-mingle and some things mellow out with time.
It's the same with beer....That is one of the things that bottle conditioning does...lets the flavors "Marry" because of the new co2 that builds up, and lets some of the "green" flavors fade away...
A good experiment to do is to pull a beer out on the 7th day in the bottle and chill it for 2...then taste it...make notes on the tastes and the level of carb. Do it again on the 14th day, the 21st and the 28th...you'll really see the difference. Then leave a bottle stashed away for 6 months...chill that and taste it...and go back and read your notes... You'll learn a heck of a lot about beer doing that.
AFAJ Brew Guy
Well-Known Member
Revvy said:
This is pretty much what I did with my first brew. It was an excellent learning experience. Never really knew what a true green beer tasted like, now I do. Also knowing this helps in being patient and letting the beer age.
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