Newbie, concerned too much bittering hops

[AwesomeHobby]

I think after a month and a half your risk of having an oxidized bitter brew over a good bitter brew starts to go up.
If they really arent to your liking, find an IPA lover and tell them its a West Coast style IPA. It’ll be a win/win

Appreciate the input; something to think about. I guess the idea of waiting a little longer was based on some suggestions in this thread as well as logged experience in another thread where someone had let the beer sit in bottle I believe 4+ months for the exact same reason to mellow out the bitterness with reported success/improvement. I can drink them for sure, just seeing what happens I guess. Maybe I will stick with the 2-wk interval to catch a bad trend and drink 'em up. I do have them in a nice coolish, dark location with zero movement, logically thinking that at least the headspace O2 will be kept isolated from the beer by presumably at least a thin layer of CO2. I assume there is O2 already absorbed that can do damage though. I did read something that indicated hoppier beers can be more suceptible to in-bottle O2 though, so I guess that is my situation. Thank you for getting me to rethink this.

 

[AwesomeHobby]

Well, at the moment sticking with the wait game, while slowly drinking them, mostly for sampling. As of 10/5 sampling (I believe 7 weeks in bottle, 3 weeks since last sampling ... took longer than I thought) maybe slightly mellowed. Not tasting anything off, so hoping/assuming no oxidation setting in yet.

 

[AwesomeHobby]

Well breaking from any sampling schedule at all and not having any other beer on hand, put 2 in fridge. Tried on 10/7 PM, really starting to believe has mellowed some since beginning. Early on in bottling, drinking one was actually difficult to finish first but this time no issue moving onto second one.

 

[NGD]

I find there is usually a sweet spot of ~2 months in if my bittering addition is to strong for my taste. When I nail it, they seem best about 3-4 weeks in. Glad to hear they are coming along nicely

 

[AwesomeHobby]

I find there is usually a sweet spot of ~2 months in if my bittering addition is to strong for my taste. When I nail it, they seem best about 3-4 weeks in. Glad to hear they are coming along nicely

That is about where I am (~2 months), so seems to fit your experience. Just curious, when you say "sweet spot" I take that as after that range things can go badly ... ? Would this generally be the oxidation concern ? Or some other degradation or combination ?

 

[NGD]

That is about where I am (~2 months), so seems to fit your experience. Just curious, when you say "sweet spot" I take that as after that range things can go badly ... ? Would this generally be the oxidation concern ? Or some other degradation or combination ?

I find that is when highly hopped beers (west coast IPAs, hoppy pilsners etc) that I’ve bottled tend to taste their best. Its a purely subjective measurement and YMMV. I find its due usually due to oxidation when I notice the hop flavors becoming more mute. Of the times I’ve had a badly oxidized batch due to splashing or overly aggressive stirring the hop flavors almost disappeared and the malt flavor became more like cardboard.

 

[AwesomeHobby]

I find that is when highly hopped beers (west coast IPAs, hoppy pilsners etc) that I’ve bottled tend to taste their best. Its a purely subjective measurement and YMMV. I find its due usually due to oxidation when I notice the hop flavors becoming more mute. Of the times I’ve had a badly oxidized batch due to splashing or overly aggressive stirring the hop flavors almost disappeared and the malt flavor became more like cardboard.

Ahhh, so this possible bitterness decline could be a sign of oxidation coming on ... possibly ?

 

[NGD]

Ahhh, so this possible bitterness decline could be a sign of oxidation coming on ... possibly ?

Quite possibly. However even professionally packaged hoppy beers begin lose their hop flavor after a few months. My knowledge of chemistry is to small to explain the reaction but there is some type of degradation. These beers will not be oxidized but the hop flavor certainly is certainly less. Some of that could be attributed to handling and being stored on a shelf for longer periods of time.
If you hold on to a bottle of this same beer for several more months you will notice a change. Likely a change in color as well as flavor.

 

[AwesomeHobby]

Quite possibly. However even professionally packaged hoppy beers begin lose their hop flavor after a few months. My knowledge of chemistry is to small to explain the reaction but there is some type of degradation. These beers will not be oxidized but the hop flavor certainly is certainly less. Some of that could be attributed to handling and being stored on a shelf for longer periods of time.
If you hold on to a bottle of this same beer for several more months you will notice a change. Likely a change in color as well as flavor.

Interesting, I will definitely be hanging onto one for the long haul. Thank you.

 

[AwesomeHobby]

Quite possibly. However even professionally packaged hoppy beers begin lose their hop flavor after a few months. My knowledge of chemistry is to small to explain the reaction but there is some type of degradation. These beers will not be oxidized but the hop flavor certainly is certainly less. Some of that could be attributed to handling and being stored on a shelf for longer periods of time.
If you hold on to a bottle of this same beer for several more months you will notice a change. Likely a change in color as well as flavor.

Apologies, another question. The deterioration you mention, is that more pornounced in warm storage, which I understand being the pimary environment of bottle conditioning, or cold as well and if cold as well I assume at a different rate ?