Why do my esters decrease after a couple of weeks?

[albino314]

I brewed a batch of English Bitter using Safale S-04. When I tasted a sample before bottling, it was nice and fruity. After a week of carbonation, it still had good fruity esters. But then over the next 2-3 weeks the esters seemed to get progressively less and less.

Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong? How can I keep the esters at the level I want them?

 

[bbohanon]

Would help to have more info on the recipe, ferm temps, your overall process, etc.

Also remember that beer is a living thing..over time, it will lose alot of the characteristics that it had early on in the conditioning process. Sometimes thats wanted, sometimes its not. Its alot of the reason most of the unfiltered craft beers are suggested to be consumed and served as fresh as possible before it morphs into something different than it was when kegged originally.

 

[albino314]

Here's my recipe (3gal batch):

3.33lb Maris Otter LME
4oz Belgian Aromatic malt
4oz Caramel 80L malt
2oz Special Roast
1oz EKG hops (5% AA) at 45min
.5oz EKG hops at 20min
.5oz EKG hops at flameout

Pitch 5g rehydrated S-04 at 70F.
Ferment ~8 days at 66F ambient, fermenter temp started at 68F and lowered to ambient by day 2.

Bottle with corn sugar for 2 volumes.

OG: 1.050
FG: 1.012