General bottle conditioning times per style

[johndeere]

Is there a general rule of thumb for bottle conditioning times per style of beer.
I've noticed there's a recommended 3 week minimum for conditioning, but imagine you'd want to condition bigger beers longer.

Is there a guideline to follow for conditioning:
Pale Ales
IPA's
Wheat
Amber Ales
Porters
Stouts


I currently have an Amber Ale conditioning at almost 2 weeks now. Generally will it make much of a difference flavor wise beyond the three week mark.

 

[leghorn]

I currently have an Amber Ale conditioning at almost 2 weeks now. Generally will it make much of a difference flavor wise beyond the three week mark.

Yes. You have 2 things going on. First, it sits on the lees (yeast), which can create subtle flavor differences from age and temperature. Second, aging beer can lower the IBUs, create oxidation, reduced roastiness, and generally change the beer in subtle, but noticeable ways. I once had a beer that scored a 26 one year and then took 2d place in its category the following year in the same competition due to aging.

I think your guideline focuses on the wrong aspect - beer style v. gravity. In general, higher gravity beers benefit from longer aging. You can have an amber with a higher gravity than a stout.

My rule of thumb is 6 weeks aging for anything - longer for the higher gravity. Of course, I sample sometimes between 4-6 weeks.:cross: But I don't start popping bottles or sharing until at least after 6 weeks. My quad has only gotten really good after a year. If you can stand it, wait 6 weeks (at least).

 

[johndeere]

Ok. Now a follow up.
Does aging in the fridge have much of effect on beer besides clarity?

 

[l1ranger]

as i understand it, you wanna age it at room temp. or about 70 deg. F.

once its in the fridge, it may clarify, but the real aging is going to cease b/c of temps

 

[rmolledo]

does aging get rid of the sharp yeast bite?

 

[mikeysab]

I don't know if its lack of patience, or curiosity, but I start tasting after 4 days. My first 3 batches were coopers kits, and I started drinking them after a week. I'd waited 6 weeks, and to me, the beer tasted the same. Since I moved to PM's and extract with steeping, I've conditioned longer. I taste at one week intervals, if I have other beer on hand. If not, I drink away after about 2 weeks. I made a 9 percent quad about 5 months ago, and haven't tasted one in two months, and I made an 11 percent cider at the same time and haven't tasted one in just as long. I made a 1.060 pale ale that conditioned for 2 weeks, and to me, it was ready, so I drank it. I made a newcastle clone that's been conditioning for 10 days, and I tasted one and to me, I'd drink it now.

I think it depends on your fermentation periods, also. If you only wait till gravity is steady, you should condition it a little longer, like 4 to 6, or even 8 weeks. Of course gravity is something you have to consider. You wouldn't condition a 1.040 as long as you would a 1.100 barleywine, but then again, the 1.100 wouldn't carb in a week. So if you leave something in fermentation (primo and secondary)for 6 weeks, you could probably bottle condition for 2 weeks and start wacking it. But if you ferment something for 2 weeks, you should probably condition it for 4 to 6 weeks for it to be ready. I've been making 1.060 beers and ciders lately, so I primary for 4 weeks, bottle condition for 2 and start drinking. I'm planning on making a belgian strong, or a chimay white clone in the near future that I'll leave alone for half a year before I taste it. In the meantime I'll be sure to brew plenty of moderate gravity beers to have something to prevent me from dipping into the longer conditioning bottles.

 

[Herky21]

I taste one every week for low OG, non-stout types. Otherwise, I wait whatever seems good for the style and always retain bottles to taste later on. The HB beer cellar is part of the fun. I had a black IPA that had a terribly grassy taste from a cycle of dry hopping that went on for too long. A year later, and it tastes like a great porter.

 

[opusx11]

Like others have indicated here, it is quite variable depending on many conditions (recipe, storage conditions, etc). I've started to not touch mine for a good 3-4 months now as I've noticed that I prefer the taste of most of my beers only after that point (and sometimes much after like 8-9 months since bottling).

Where I am struggling is how subtle flavours like toasted coconut can make it that far? I read about how those flavours subside quickly

 

[unionrdr]

I leave my ales pale,IPA, & the like in primary 3-5 weeks depending on my recipe. Then in bottles preferrably for 4 weeks. Hoppy beers seem to be hitting their stride about then. 7 weeks or more & hop flavors & aromas start to fade.
But darker bers with roastier flavors,however strong orsubtle,have needed more time ime. My whiskely ale took a day shy of 10 weeks before it was ready. And 2 weeks in the fridge for just about all of them gives thicker head & longer lasting carbonation. There have been exceptions,but that's the norm ime's.

 

[Soup4you2]

I haven't been going by styles on how long it takes, but rather the OG. Going by the schedule below has served me pretty good so far..

Less Than 1.040 - 2 Weeks
1.040 - 1.054 - 4 Weeks
1.055 - 1.080 - 6-8 Weeks

 

[kingogames]

OK so for what it's worth, I bottled my IPA on 3/3, and just now 5/19 do I consider it done. Before now, it was always pouring over carbed. Now it seems to have mellowed out. Still an acceptable head, but one beer does not fill up the pitcher. Head (on beer) is not really important to me though, just a little cap is fine, I don't like drinking through 3 in of head to get to the beer. Good for pictures of beer, but bad for drinking, IMO.

Bottled my stout around 2/14, and by 3/1 or so it was fine. Further aging did not make a huge difference on it.