what goes on inside the bottle?

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Fitz

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ok, i know carbonation goes on in there but what else? i bottled my first ever batch and being the newbie that i am i decided to open one bottle after 2 days,just to experiment and to taste the difference in the ageing process, and after 2 days in the bottle the one i opend was PERFECT,couldnt ask for more in a beer, so what will change in 2 or 3 weeks in the bottle?
 
You know how leftover spaghetti is always better?

I believe that it's similiar. The flavors mix together, and there is a general mellowing to the entire flavor profile. There's a specific 'green' beer taste or bite that seems to be more prevalent with beers with larger grain bills. It often takes months for a big beer to mellow to perfection. A high alcohol barleywine could take a year or more. Smaller beers, like pale ales, can be good to go after two-three weeks in the bottle.

I myself have often wondered exactly what happens on a chemical level...maybe one of our resident scientists will respond.
 
well, my beer is perfect after 2 days in the bottle, everything was great, amazing to think it will get better after 2 or more weeks
 
I suppose perfection is in the eyes of the beholder, but I would suspect that any beer declared 'perfect' after 2 days in the bottle would be considered perfecter after 3-4 weeks and perfectest sometime after that. I've been brewing for about a year and half, probably 15-20 batches (but I still consider myself a NOOB). Of those, I recall one (my first - a nut brown ale) where the flavor of the last one (drank about 3 months after brewing) seemed degraded. Since then, I can safely say that every time I've had the last of a batch, it was at its best tasting. And many of these were several months after brewing (I'm loving some pale ale I brewed in December right now!). Now some of that's probably nostalgia for a good batch but definitely I always see improvement with aging.
 
2-day old beer is like a green beer that only the brewer can love. IOW, you're blinded by the elation of having made it yourself. I would bet that you'll agree with that after trying it again in a month.... if there is any left.

Now that I think of it though, how old is the beer really? Has it been aging in secondary for a month or two before bottling? If so, that would explain it. You can have a perfectly AGED beer taste great as soon as its carbed enough.
 
It's all just black magic... step away from your beer, avoid the temptation to drink it all, and wait at LEAST 3 weeks :)


An idea: Seriously, as a 1st time brewer, try 1 bottle every 2 to 3 days or so to chart the progress, write down in a notebook the differences (both visual, amount of foam, amount of bubbles and the taste). You'll then know for yourself :) This will only cost you +/-7 bottles of beer over the 3 weeks, and will teach you how the beer changes in the bottle.

Just remember: it's your beer, do with it as you like :)

Cheers,
Awfers
 
step away from your beer, avoid the temptation to drink it all, and wait at LEAST 3 weeks :)

Stepaway_copy.jpg


:D
 
:D

I confess inspiration from one of your previous posts with that image :mug:
 
i will step away from the beer for sureLOL. just opended one to taste the difference in th ageing process,still a noob so i want to experiment and know the difference
 
i will step away from the beer for sureLOL. just opended one to taste the difference in th ageing process,still a noob so i want to experiment and know the difference

I know you're excited...but believe me, your beer will thank you for it. Just brew again, the more you build up your pipeline, the more you'll be willing to wait to have great beer....

I've been leaving my beers in the fermenter for a month, after fermentation is done the yeast clean up after themselves...By beers have become amazing! Just waiting kicked my beer up a notch.

If you can't brew right away, build up your empty bottle inventory instead. Experiment with trying new beers and different styles...Just make sure the a poptops. Even try different brands in the same style to see how different breweries approach the same style. I love amber ales, so I'm always trying a different brewery's version to see what's the same/different, and how they stack up with mine.
 

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