Maturing time..

[deuc224]

Ok so im a very impatient person and want to drink the beer as soon as it get carbed, like i burst carb and drink. Its never a bad beer at all, just always seems to taste better the longer it stays in the keg. So my last chocolate stout I said i would let sit for a week and did it, was a good beer, but by the end, it was great. So the question is, how many of you let the beer sit and mature and how long do you let it sit? Me:

1 week

 

[BrewZer]

I've got a batch of holiday spiced ale sitting in the garage (nice and cold!) that just keeps getting better, and I bottled it in October, so I'd say three or four months, at least.

But that doesn't mean I won't pop a bottle now and then just to check on things.

 

[monkeymath]

I usually have the first bottle after a week or so - impatiently waiting for my last batch to carb atm. But my batches usually last a couple of months, so it's stretched out over a longer period and most of it is consumed in a very mature state.

 

[McKnuckle]

Two weeks cold conditioning is the bare minimum for me, after which I'll at least pour a half glass to sample it. But I don't tap it properly for another week (3 weeks total after being kegged).

I have more than enough kegs and bottles on hand so that I always get to taste things as they age for weeks and months. If you're going through one at a time, it's harder to be patient.

 

[pvpeacock]

Depends on the beer. For Stouts, I have let them "mature" for months and even a few for over a year and they just kept getting better (mellower) with age. Pale Ales and IPA can be done in a few weeks start to finish.

 

[Sammy86]

In the beginning of my brewing journey I was a grain to glass in 28 days...package on day 14 and let it sit for two weeks...now I have three kids 4 and under so I'm lucky if I can wait a week...need to remember patience is a virtue!

 

[deuc224]

oh wow im loving these answers everyone, keep em coming. McKnuckle brought up a good point in that if its one at a time its hard, I do that most of the time and I need to start doing a beer a week to have a bunch on hand, or just getting a 10 gallon fermenter and doing double batches and putting them into 2 5 gallon kegs.

 

[Birrofilo]

I let the beer sit on the yeast for around three weeks normally. I bottle with an aphrometer and I wait for the pressure to be stabilized, which normally takes other two weeks. Then I drink the beer in the bottle with the aphrometer and store the bottles in a fixed 14°C environment for at least two months.

 

[NobleSavage]

Most of what I brew is under 1.060 (and usually way under) so my grain to glass time is generally pretty quick. If I am brewing an NEIPA, my session IPA or my wheat beer, I usually keg just before the 2 week mark and start sampling a few days later. Most of the time carbonation is close after 12 - 18 hours at 35 or 40 psi (I brew 2.5 gallon batches) and just right after a few days at serving pressure. As far as maturation I prefer these styles a fresh as possible. Stouts are usually an extra week, but honestly I don't think they need to be. The only ales that constantly need more time (for me at least) are Kolsch and Cream Ales, but I usually brew these for specific events or to have on hand for certain people (my Dad) so it is easy to brew, ferment and then keg and forget about for a while.

 

[Immocles]

Depends on the style for me. I brew 3G batches for the most part. Hoppy beers last about 8 weeks max ( so 6 weeks after carbonation). Darker beers, or anything with multiple grain ingredients, last a bit longer because I've experienced the improvement too many times. Same with lagers. For me, its super easy to keep my hands off for half of the year because my basement gets COLD. When I brew in the warmer months, I get a bit more panicky about keeping cases of bottles stacked up in the warm, and once they make it to the fridge, all bets are off. But when its colder down there, its easy to be okay with walking by a stack of cases and not worrying about the temperature too much.

 

[Mtrhdltd]

At least 2 weeks after kegging. I usually have 2 on tap at once and brew 10 gallon batches so it's easier to taste the maturation process.

 

[Beermeister32]

90 days for standard OG lagers and ales, 180 days for big lagers and ales. IPA’s are done quickly, maybe 30 days total to retain hop flavor. Brew more beer. Buy more kegs... get your mind off the batches that are in aging!

 

[Birrofilo]

get your mind off the batches that are in aging!

Wine can be very helpful for that! While I let my beer mature, I enjoy wine with my meals...

 

[Beermeister32]

Wine can be very helpful for that! While I let my beer mature, I enjoy wine with my meals...

Also “no wine before its time!”

 

[JimRausch]

I bottle and have been brewing for 9 years, so I have a huge backlog of insulated cartons of beers sitting in my garage. I will try one at two weeks after bottling and another at 3 weeks or so, but oftentimes they then go to the garage and enter 'the rotation'.

 

[Consigliere]

I only keg now and find at least 2 weeks is needed for an ale to start to hit its stride. A month is usually peak.
Lagers I always start sampling about 3 weeks but 4-5 is starting to peak.
Some beers will be great after a week but generally they improve is my experience. Very hoppy beers I have found about 6-8 weeks and they start to decline.
The pipeline is key. Having multiple taps going allows them to age out quickly. Having a couple quick turnaround recipes can help too.
I found with bottling 4 weeks was
Often needed for a lot of ales. Never tried any lagers until I converted to kegs.
Cold crashing and minimizing yeast transfer can help with rounding beers
Out I have found as well