How long should I wait on a pale ale?

[buyaka]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to brewing so sorry about the ridiculous question. I brewed a Three Floyd's Alpha King Pale Ale clone 10 days ago, and racked to the secondary last night. I was planning on keeping it in the secondary for two weeks before bottling. Then I was gonna add 3/4 cup of corn sugar, and wait three weeks before trying one. Do you think this is excessively long, for both the bottle and the secondary? At this early stage in my brewing career I don't have much patience for waiting. I want my beer now, but I also want it to be delicious!

Thanks!

 

[mmb]

Just remember, it's going to get better with age. It will be fine to drink as you have planned, but hide a sixer or so away so that you can try it again at a later date.

 

[Big10Seaner]

Stick with your plan, you'll be happy you did.

 

[buyaka]

Alright, I guess two quick responses telling me to wait is evidence enough that I really should wait. I guess I should just brew more frequently to pass the time!

Thanks mmb and Big10Seaner.

 

[Bruiz54]

With brewing patience is a virtue. The longer you wait the better it does get. Most people do the 1,2,3 approach. I have experimented with both primary only and primary + secondary fermintation and I still have trouble deciding which one is best. I do think though long primary fermintation, say 3 weeks or so, has an addvantage of letting the yeast really clean up some of the off flavours. Also I always try to at least have 2 brews sitting in the fermenters and one bottled and ready to drink, so that way I can be more patience. LOL my patience tends to run out once it is in the bottle so I try to leave my beers in the fermenters for a while so I will have tastier brew when I drink. Right now for example I have 4 diffrent brews in the fermenter and a Pale ale in the bottle. Well keep doing what you do and rock on :rockin:

 

[BugleBrew]

Be patient. Brew more. Right now.

 

[nathan]

brew more batches to occupy your time while you wait. With 5-8 batches fermenting at a time I keep myself so distracted I can more easily be patient in regards to each individual batch.

 

[enderwig]

Your plan is my exact schedule, (barring the oddball long ferment). I have been happy with the results that I get with that time table. Now I have enough in rotation to let them sit for 5-6 weeks in bottles before trying them if I like, and I must say, the longer the better, except wheats.

 

[carl spakler]

Hi everyone,At this early stage in my brewing career I don't have much patience for waiting. I want my beer now,

Thanks!

I think you picked the wrong hobby if short turn around time to beer is what you want, might I suggest buying stuff for immediate consumption and letting the beer you brew take its time to develop. At a minimum most beers are nearly 2 months from brew to drink, (assuming you bottle condition), and most will improve as they sit over the next few months.

 

[nathan]

you can get a hefeweizen from mash tun to glass in two weeks if you ferment it around 68, pitch a fat starter, and keg and force carb it with vigorous shaking or a carb stone.

Other than that, it takes a while.

 

[kaptain_karma]

I like to alternate faster beers, like heffes, with long agers like some Belgian ales. That way there's always something to drink while you're waiting for the big beers.

 

[Nablis]

My pale ale i'm drinking right now has improved much after being bottled for 2 weeks.

 

[DeadDoc]

My pale ale i'm drinking right now has improved much after being bottled for 2 weeks.

Isnt that the minimum bottled age timeframe?

 

[Nablis]

That just depends if you have other beer to drink

 

[tdavisii]

I dont think i have ever waited as long as i should have. My impatience lets me notice changes as the beer ages though.

 

[jacksonbrown]

beer+age=yum!
Just wait it out. You'll be gald you did. If you can contain yourself, I'd suggest trying one a week, or every 4-5 days to see the differences.

 

[buyaka]

Yea, I know it changes. I tried the red ale I have ready now 1 week after it had been bottled. It was hardly carbonated and was extremely dark. I just had one last night and it's great. It's well carbonated with a nice head, and has lightened up considerably. I know I should wait and I should be able to, I was just checking to make sure I wasn't being excessive about the time frame.