Bottle condition time?

[Stephenj]

Hi all, been viewing the excellent posts for some weeks now, getting help without you even knowing! I have today bottled my first 1 gallon all grain apa. OG 1.051, FG 1.016 70ish% according to brewersfriend calculator so happy for first attempt.

My question is, after 24 days in primary FV how long should I condition in bottles? I've looked around and different ideas from as long as leaving for months, double the fermentation time, through to 2weeks should be enough. Ideas?

 

[foxy]

I find mine ready to drink in about 2 weeks depending on the ABV.

 

[Ciaran12s]

It's hard to say. Generally leave it as long as your patience can last. Most of my beers get sank within six weeks of bottling and taste good from a week/2 weeks. However the odd bottle that gets missed and makes it to 3/4 months does seem a little better than those that went before.

 

[terrym]

My suggestion is to leave it three weeks, try one, leave it a week try another then try one at weekly intervals until you know its come good, then get stuck in, but keep one back for a few months. Along the way you will notice how it's changed.

 

[Stephenj]

Cheers for the replies. Think I'll go the 'one a week' route for the next 3 weeks or so. Drank the tester from vessel after FG was taken. Tastes great if I do say so myself, v similar to the Stone IPA I had straight afterwards :smile:

Was worried a little as I've been away for last 10 days so couldn't keep check on temp (been in a switched of chest freezer, wrapped in towel, in the garage) but all seems well after bottling.

 

[Brett74]

I leave mine for 2 weeks at around 21 degrees and then try and leave them for that long in the fridge too...

 

[wfr42]

Try and wait as long as possible for the first one as you only have a gallon.

Most importantly get your next brew fermenting ASAP =P

 

[Gunge]

The floodgates open as soon as it is crystal clear... usually within ten days. But it's a good idea to keep some back for a couple of months and see the difference, which is often profound and generally for the better.

 

[4444244]

I generally leave mine about 6 weeks. Despite being technically ready sooner, I find them so much more flavoursome after the 6 week period. It's still amazes me how they mature over time.

Like previous posts suggest, it's all down to patience. Well worth waiting for if you can though.

 

[suffolk]

Just as you get to the last bottle it will be perfect :)

 

[Robsparky99]

My standard process so far is 2 weeks for carbonating, then a month for conditioning. From what I have read on the web this should produce a good beer. I have a few of each batch conditioning for longer to see the difference.

 

[Dutto]

Just as you get to the last bottle it will be perfect :)

This is the definitively correct analysis of home-brewing! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[chub1]

I do 10/14 days in warm then another 10/14 days in cooler.
Errrrrrrrrr,don't always adhere to that policy though,usually have to do a tester before then:lol::lol::thumb:.Tend to keep most for a month or so if i can,have some double stout left that is around 3 months old and will try and let it mature a bit more

 

[Dutto]

I try my damnedest to stick to the 2+2+2 as a minimum and mainly succeed. :thumb:

However, after the initial six weeks I find that the lower ABV beers disappear a lot quicker than the higher ABV beers for three reasons:

1. High ABV beers take longer to mature and live longer (6-18 months) on the shelf without going off.

2. Lower ABV beers mature quickly and don't last very long (3-4 months) on the shelf before going off.

3. I lose interest in staying awake, never mind drinking, after a couple of litres of the high ABV beers! :lol:

 

[Stephenj]

Defo leaving it a few weeks, and trying one a week until get a real understanding of flavours.

2ND brew next week should keep mind off the temptation.

 

[Martybhoy]

I usually try one after 1 week. Kind of a check that nothing has gone seriously wrong, and also because I am an impatient bar steward.

Then one a week/fortnight depending on strength.

For an APA, especially if it is quite hoppy, you don't want to leave for more than 4 months, as the hopiness will have faded by this time.

I also find that planning ahead and chilling in the fridge for a full day or more makes for better head, smoother carbonation and a more solid yeast cake, meaning less will make its way into your glass.

 

[Stephenj]

So take one after 2 weeks conditioning, put in fridge for a day? Do this for a few weeks?

 

[Cwrw666]

Well, as I usually drink a pint or 2 when I'm bottling the stuff you can start drinking the bottles just as soon as they've got pressure. It's quite interesting to see how the beer changes from the first to the last bottle. It changes quite a lot but whether you consider that improving or not is down to personal taste and style of beer. They reckon hoppy pale ales are best when still young as the hoppy bit fades quite a bit on storage.

 

[JapanBrew]

As you can see the advice is all over the board on this one. It shows you that you will need to find your timeline that works for you. The way you like the taste but also the equipment you use. All the suggestions given are great. I would get another batch on but keep it mostly the same but adjust one thing and see what happens. This is where the fun begins.

 

[Thumper]

I have a Cooper's IPA kit that's been bottle conditioning in a box in the living room for two weeks. I intend to move it to the shed tonight, where it is comparatively cooler.

Has anyone here used this kit, and if so, when would you say peak drinking time is? It's my birthday BBQ on the 5th and I was hoping to get a few of these down me :)