Recipe calls for "aging"

[HomeBrew Esquire]

Bit of a Noob so bare with me please.

Brewing a brown ale clone. Recipe states to transfer to secondary and allow "beer to condition for 1 week, and then bottle or keg. Allow to carbonate and age for 2 weeks".

Few questions:

1. "Condition" for 1 week: Meaning allow yeast time to clean up off flavors after fermentation?
2. "Carbonate and age for two weeks": Is this still at fermentation temperature or is this after cold crashing?
3. My understanding is that during the conditioning phase (1 above), the yeast are active and doing things to impact the flavor. When the beer is "aging" for two weeks (2 above), are the yeast still impacting flavor? And if so, I would assume the temperature would need to be in a range where they are not sent into dormancy? Or does this "aging" process have nothing to do with yeast activity and there is something else at play affecting flavor?

Thank you in advance!

 

[GoodTruble]

1. "Condition" just means leave it in the fermenter longer to let yeast finish and allow time for stuff to drop out and the beer clear. (Note - MANY people here will tell you secondary is not necessary and that just leaving it in the primary fermenter another week will accomplish the same thing without adding further oxygen to the beer).

2. Bottles need to be at fermenting temps for the yeast to carbonate the beer. (Tip - I usually do at least one plastic bottle to make it easier to monitor carbonation progress) (I also do one clear bottle to monitor clarity).

3. Yeast plays a role in aging, but so do other things. Some beers will improve with age (usually darker, heavier beers) and some will not (like hoppy IPA beers). And lagers are a different story. Just research each beer as you go/brew for advice for that type of beer. For a brown ale, it is probably fine after 2 weeks in the bottle at room temp (65-70F) and then 1-2 days in the fridge.

 

[HomeBrew Esquire]

Thank you for the clarification! I won't be bottling. Going to do a closed transfer from keg king's apollo fermenter to a corny keg then carb. I guess it couldn't hurt to allow it to carb in the keg at ferm temp since I would be doing the same exact thing if I were bottling.

Thanks again!

 

[kevin58]

I'm going to assume this is a kit. Recipe kit instructions have not changed since I began brewing over 25 years ago. At the time it was thought... or taught... that transferring your beer from the primary fermenter into a secondary vessel was important for a variety of reasons. Long ago however the current view developed that says the secondary stage is not needed and can actually be harmful to your beer. Unless diligent care is taken it is more likely you will introduce oxygen during the transfer and inadvertently oxidize the beer. So let it ferment out completely in your primary fermenter then keg exactly as you say you intend to do.

 

[HomeBrew Esquire]

It was actually out of a clone beer book. But i'm definitely going to avoid the secondary for all the reasons stated. Thanks again for the feedback!