Sometimes you just can't help yourself

[OHIOSTEVE]

I am amazed at the patience I have shown with my brews. I have some that have been in bottles a few weeks and I give them no thought. HOWEVER I HAD to try one of the nut brown ales that have been in bottles only 4-5 days.. yes it is flat as a pancake.. yes it tastes " green" BUT I am happy as a clam with what I think it WILL taste like when fully carbed.

 

[scrambledegg81]

After reading how much aging/patience takes, I wound up putting my bottles in somewhere really out of the way (top of the fridge in the garage, under the sink, behind the kitty litter, etc) until I learned to stop pounding them after less than a week in-bottle. Made a world of difference.

 

[Captain Damage]

I pretty much always try one after a week. There has been an occasion or two when it's been a day or two sooner. But I try to plan ahead and make sure I've got enough other beer available so this new beer won't become my drinking beer until it's fully conditioned.

 

[MikeRoBrew1]

Oh man you guys need to move to kegs then! Hehehe! I was pounding my American Dream Ale after only 3 weeks fermenting and about 12 hours in the keg hehe!! Lightly carbonated and cold, but after a couple days it's fully carb'd.

 

[mr_bell]

I pretty much always try one after a week.

+1, me too, consider this "quality control"

 

[drycreek]

I almost always drink my first one in the 1-2 week mark. They are usually pretty flat and green at 1 week, but starting to taste much better by 2 weeks.

I was proud of myself for waiting 15 days before trying an IPA recently. It tasted damn good.

 

[Barnzy02]

I keep telling myself after bottling, make sure you wait 2-3 weeks before trying them....But when that first weekend after i bottled them rolls around, i always find myself sitting around staring at my closet telling myself, just throw one in the fridge and try it, see how it's progressing.

 

[NuclearRich]

I do it a lot myself. I just bottled a chocolate stout last week, and couldnt resist. Chilled and drank that flat slice of heaven. It gives me an idea of where the beer is heading (just like gravity sample tasting). And it makes me really excited for the finished product.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Once you have a pipeline you'll find it easier to let your beers condition. I have about 22 gallons in various stages from fermenting to ready to drink. I have about 5 gallons ready to drink, 5 gallons bottle conditioning, 1 gallon fermenting and 11 gallons in fermenters.

 

[Fletch78]

I'm on day five, about to break one open too.

 

[Pilgarlic]

I have plenty of beers in inventory, bottled and conditioned, but that doesn't keep me from cracking one after 5-7 days "just to see". Sometimes I'll bottle a few in the mini-Corona bottles just for this purpose, sometimes not.

 

[Captain Damage]

Oh man you guys need to move to kegs then! Hehehe! I was pounding my American Dream Ale after only 3 weeks fermenting and about 12 hours in the keg hehe!! Lightly carbonated and cold, but after a couple days it's fully carb'd.

I am NOT bringing a keg of each of my beers to friend/family gatherings. They'll drink it all and I'll have none left for myself.

 

[Strangebird]

I was actually able to wait for 2.5 weeks after my first one was bottled. But then I opened one about each week to see how it progressed. It's pretty good now, but I'm trying to get more in the pipeline so I don't go through it all too quickly.

 

[MikeRoBrew1]

I am NOT bringing a keg of each of my beers to friend/family gatherings. They'll drink it all and I'll have none left for myself.

Haha! Oh heavens no! Bottles are GREAT for travelling or giving away - but for myself and guests at home, I am so glad I jumped right into kegging. Cheers!