I have a problem...

[ARDean]

I like beer - better yet I like brewing beer. Yes all kinds of beer; dark beer, IPAs, ambers, sours and even barley wines.

But I have a problem with waiting the 3 weeks in the bottle before I can drink it. Yes, I can get a keg setup but I really like it in a bottle for some reason (perhaps because I can better monitor my consumption). I find myself sneaking into my stash early in the morning (trying to be sneaky and add the element of surprise) and stealing one and putting it into the fridge (way before it's matured). After I do this I feel ashamed - like I kidnapped a brother from a large family and now the remaining brothers are missing their kidnapped brother and for what? just so I can partake of a young beer? I justify this by telling myself that 'it's only one, there are plenty more where that came from'...

I know I have a problem - I guess that's the first step in confronting my issue, to realize I do have a problem...

I'm reaching out to you out here for help, does anyone else have this problem? Is there some advise that you can give me? Is there a 12 step program that I can do? Please help, I like beer and I want it to like me...

Thank you for your time - and understanding...

Have fun with this - brew on...

 

[rocketk455]

I make myself resist that urge. I typically try my first one at 2 weeks in the bottle just to see how its coming alone. I try a second one at 3 weeks and then go from there.

 

[samc]

The beauty of kegging is that you can sneak a taste and not wait three weeks. With many beers those early tastes prove to be as good if not better than the aged version due to the overabundance of hop aroma/flavors early on. I have 3 taps and they sit right next to my desk, and I rarely break down and have one during off hours.

 

[Strave19]

Its only a pproblem if you see it as one.

I usually toss one in the fridge every few days starting at day 5 or so. You'd be surprised how good some styles can be when thy young (esp ipas). Sometimes it actually gives me really useful info about the beer. For example, i just tried aaan amber that was in the bottle less than a week and it was really good, just a slight malty sweetness. A couple weeks later it was fully carbed but had dried out a bit more and was actually a bit too dry at that point. Now i know that the recipe is likely great, but maybe i should mash higher next time...

You also get to write notes on your beers and find out exactly when a beer peaks. Useful info...

Plus this is all a good excuse to try your beer without feeling guilty!

 

[Germelli1]

I rarely wait 3 weeks when it is in the bottle.

I don't buy in to the extended primary. Most typical gravities beers get bottled 10-14 days after pitching the yeast with my methods and they carbonate within 20 hours usually.

At this point I do the extended aging, but I usually throw a 6er in the fridge after that first day or two when they are carbonated and keep replacing them when they are gone. This helps monitor when the reach thier peak as well so you know when mass consumption can begin (or for me when I am ready to let friends sample it).

I know my methods aren't typical of those around here but I can explain my reasons and why I still producae amazing beer this way in a PM if anyone wants to avoid throwing this thread off topic.

 

[Aschecte]

Uh well I'm gonna be an enabler on this one I would label what your doing as aging progress analysis. you know compare pre- pitch flavor than post ferment before bottling then at 1 week intervals. Believe it or not alot of pro brewers and writers encourage sampling at different stages of the maturation cycle to " get to know the beer". I applaud your lack of control and I'm sure your beer will forgive you.

 

[ARDean]

Thank you for your support in my battle with premature consumption. I will attempt to follow your lead and strive to win this war with patience...

 

[huge1s]

This seems to be more of a problem of not brewing frequently enough, or not brewing big enough batches (take your pick). I had a hard time on my first batch waiting but held out for 2 weeks and put one in the fridge to test the carbonation. Then waited another week for the next "test". They are all good now... so no need to refrain myself. I plan on having a second batch finished carbonating by the time I am out of the first one. If you brew more frequently or bigger batches, you won't run out before the next batch is done.

 

[madbaldman]

I rarely wait 3 weeks when it is in the bottle.

I don't buy in to the extended primary. Most typical gravities beers get bottled 10-14 days after pitching the yeast with my methods and they carbonate within 20 hours usually.

You're achieving carbonation in 20 hours?!?!?! Could you please describe your method?

 

[LVBen]

I'm reaching out to you out here for help, does anyone else have this problem? Is there some advise that you can give me? Is there a 12 step program that I can do?

BREW MORE!!! It is a lot easier to wait for a beer to get ready if you already have several other beers ready to drink!

 

[Germelli1]

You're achieving carbonation in 20 hours?!?!?! Could you please describe your method?

Done!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/m...thod-bottle-carbing-1-day-261042/#post3146158

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Increase pipeline size.

From:

To:

 

[Hernando]

uh well i'm gonna be an enabler on this one i would label what your doing as aging progress analysis. You know compare pre- pitch flavor than post ferment before bottling then at 1 week intervals. Believe it or not alot of pro brewers and writers encourage sampling at different stages of the maturation cycle to " get to know the beer". I applaud your lack of control and i'm sure your beer will forgive you.

+1

 

[huge1s]

Done!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/m...thod-bottle-carbing-1-day-261042/#post3146158

Even if I don't use your "quick" method for getting from grain to glass, I love the plastic soda bottle idea for figuring out when your beer is done carbing. That was a big concern when I did my first batch... so I waited 2 weeks before even trying one. It was carbed up and I thought, "damn... if this is fully carbed up, i could have been drinking these earlier". Do you think it is necessary to use a full size plastic soda bottle? or would a smaller one work as a sample (assuming I can find a smaller one).

 

[austinb]

You are not alone i usually try one at about 5 days slightly under carbonated just to get an idea of what the final product might taste like. I probably try about 3 of them before they are actually fully "ready" to drink. I don't think its a problem at all, if you want to try it early go for it! If you are patient enough to wait that is fine too...to each their own. You could even not prime it and drink it flat if you prefered it that way and that would be perfectly fine...the beauty of homebrew is you can do whatever the heck you want with it!

 

[Germelli1]

Even if I don't use your "quick" method for getting from grain to glass, I love the plastic soda bottle idea for figuring out when your beer is done carbing. That was a big concern when I did my first batch... so I waited 2 weeks before even trying one. It was carbed up and I thought, "damn... if this is fully carbed up, i could have been drinking these earlier". Do you think it is necessary to use a full size plastic soda bottle? or would a smaller one work as a sample (assuming I can find a smaller one).

I try and us the smallest ones possible because, I don't know if this is all in my head, but the beer either doesn't taste as good in a soda bottle or it doesn't age well in bottles. There are too many variables for me to single out why (if a real reason does exist) like soda flavors left in bottle even after oxyclean soak, etc.

I have used everything from those 13.7 oz round orniment shaped coke bottles, to clear pint bottles, to amber 20 oz root beer bottles, to the amber pint miller lite bottles. They all serve the same purpose beautifully!