popped the top on my first home brewed beer today. It was a Mutton's Kit IPA with added hops and extract. It isn't too bad at all (for my first time with mistakes and all)!! I'm thrilled! I was told her heard somewhere that the longer it sits the better it will be. Is this true? This bottle I'm having has conditioned for about 2 weeks 8 hours. I am having a second beer now... and I might have a third... but then I have some set aside for next Sunday then the week after that and the week after that. Is this true that they will age better in the coming weeks? According to my brother, even that is way too soon. He said you need to let it sit for at least 2 months MINIMUM.... Thoughts?
First Homebrew tasting
- Thread starter Donutz
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Typically the longer you wait with an IPA, the more the hop aroma and flavor will disappear. If it's really hoppy, sometimes it's nice to allow the malt & hop characters to balance out; however, if you really like hoppy beers, drinking them "young" will allow you to taste those flavors better.
Your beer is fine to drink at 2 weeks in the bottle, as long as it has adequately carbonated. It is beneficial to age a higher gravity beer for a longer period of time (weeks / even months), but normally IPAs are consumed once carbonated, so the hop profile is still dominant. The longer you age an IPA, the hop character will begin to mellow out.
The flavor should improve a bit after another week of bottle conditioning, but the problem you are going to run into is your supply will start to run low, unless you get another batch started.
Enjoy it!
The flavor should improve a bit after another week of bottle conditioning, but the problem you are going to run into is your supply will start to run low, unless you get another batch started.
Enjoy it!LOL. I have a batch of Stone Ruination Clone that has been fermenting for a week now. I checked the OG 3 days ago... Gonna check it again tomorrow to see where we are at. If it has stopped fermenting, I might dry hop it tomorrow!
It is amazing how fast the hop flavors recede with an IPA. But non-hoppy beers I find do improve in the bottle.
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