Bottle conditioning question

[Baldylocks Brewery]

Hi All
I’ve done around 18x AG brews now and not many repeat brews so a rather random mix with only one that was let’s say a little niche.
So very pleased so far.
All my brews are 4-5.5% and nothing really out there in recipes or techniques as I’m still learning. Pales, bitters, stouts and a couple of fest beers.
The element I’m puzzled by is the length of time each takes to come to its best? And not necessarily clear I mean tasting finished. The Greg Hughes book quotes ready to drink times of 4-5weeks but personally I’m finding most are not really good before 4 weeks after bottling so usually 7weeks plus.
So outside of super strong, sours etc. is there are normal period you would expect a batch to be out of the “green” period and resembling the target taste?

 

[obscure]

For bottle conditioned I find seven to eight weeks, (that being said I mostly keg my lower ABV beers these days and leave bottling for the 6% plus beers, and they do seem to condition a lot faster in a keg a 4% session bitter for example I find will be perfectly drinkable at two weeks and excellent at four).

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

Thanks Obscure, are you talking pressure barrel keg or corny keg with secondary priming for carbonation?

 

[obscure]

Thanks Obscure, are you talking pressure barrel keg or corny keg with secondary priming for carbonation?

I use corny kegs (and prime with sugar to carbonate).

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

Do you use dip tube or floating ball?

 

[obscure]

Do you use dip tube or floating ball?

Hi, the standard metal dip tube that comes with most corny kegs.

 

[MashBag]

What a good question.

There isn't a magic number 4 - 6 weeks is an average. I have a few bottles that are a few years old (5ish I think) and they are JUST starting to go over.

Your taste buds well vary, the mash varies, the ingredients vary, the weights vary, the hops vary.. I am sure you are where I am going with this

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

What a good question.

There isn't a magic number 4 - 6 weeks is an average. I have a few bottles that are a few years old (5ish I think) and they are JUST starting to go over.

Your taste buds well vary, the mash varies, the ingredients vary, the weights vary, the hops vary.. I am sure you are where I am going with this

Ok so I’m way too hasty and need to brew batches well ahead by a month or two at least. And leave some way longer to see what happens so I know for future brews.
I guess you seasoned pros plan ahead for most of the years brews and then throw in the spontaneous extras you fancy!

 

[MashBag]

I can only speak for myself, but my drinking is few brews ahead of brewing.

Try a 12 crate rotation, 3 creates filled per brew. As soon as you get 2 empty put a mash on.... By the time the 3rd is empty you will be ready for bottling.. Hopefully.

Ps. Hanging your head under the fv is considered bad etiquette

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

Good idea Mashbag, I’ve been meaning to get some crates especially as moving lots of bottles in shopping bags is a pain and don’t stack of course.

Ps. Hanging your head under the fv is considered bad etiquette

oh no, secrets out!

 

[Cwrw666]

Conditioning time varies hugely with the ingredients of the beer. Hoppy, single malt beers are at their best very young because hop flavours and aromas fade quite quickly. On the other hand malt forward beers especially those with multiple grains and dark grains too take a few weeks for the flavours to mature.
Personally I like starting drinking all my beers young and enjoying the change as I slowly work my way through a brew.

 

[MashBag]

That's a good point too. We are all different. I am just finishing up my 2017 merlot, which sorry if nails my flash to the mast.

 

[MashBag]

I’ve been meaning to get some crates

https://ab-handling.com/products/wi...00782&pr_ref_pid=4376173478028&pr_seq=uniform
I think these are what I have. Very good crowd to deal with. 12 bottles is nice if you are using recycled (& random) glass bottles.

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

https://ab-handling.com/products/wi...00782&pr_ref_pid=4376173478028&pr_seq=uniform
I think these are what I have. Very good crowd to deal with. 12 bottles is nice if you are using recycled (& random) glass bottles.

Thank you they look just the job

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

Conditioning time varies hugely with the ingredients of the beer. Hoppy, single malt beers are at their best very young because hop flavours and aromas fade quite quickly. On the other hand malt forward beers especially those with multiple grains and dark grains too take a few weeks for the flavours to mature.
Personally I like starting drinking all my beers young and enjoying the change as I slowly work my way through a brew.

Thanks Cwrw, that explains why the 5.5% ESB I brewed for Xmas last year was still rough after 4 weeks in a PB at Xmas but it was pretty good by Feb. I’ve not tried a really hoppy brew yet or dry hopping but I’ll bear in mind the limited shelf life of the hop element.

 

[Steve.]

https://ab-handling.com/products/wi...00782&pr_ref_pid=4376173478028&pr_seq=uniform
I think these are what I have. Very good crowd to deal with. 12 bottles is nice if you are using recycled (& random) glass bottles.

Same creates on Amazon are £20, these look like a bargain

 

[Agentgonzo]

Give Plastic Bottle Storage Crates | Beer & Wine Crates | Solent Plastics a try. They can often be cheaper than Amazon

 

[dad_of_jon]

Wheat beers 2 weeks ready to go.
Quads and imperial stouts... 3 months plus**
Saison 6 months.
Other beers age differently over time as @Cwrw666 says and I enjoy them as their taste changes. Hoppy kviek beers using voss have a great orange marmalade taste but fade after 4-5 months, yet the mellow into something less 'brash' and more balanced.
My dipa brewed with verdant yeast tasted of burnt rubber in the 1st month. 3 months later it had gone

** - I find I like these when young and sweet at around 3 months, then after 9 months they go through a licorice phase then at 18+ become plummy.
as I'm not a licorice fan I drink them from 3-9 months then revisit 9+ months later.

So a bit of forward planning to know when the beers taste at their best to/for you is something you'll pick up with experience. But always try a sample bottle of a batch every month or two i'd recommend.

 

[NIGHTSKY BREWING]

Yeast is your friend..... If you have nice friends ...they will look after all your problems.

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

Wheat beers 2 weeks ready to go.
Quads and imperial stouts... 3 months plus**
Saison 6 months.
Other beers age differently over time as @Cwrw666 says and I enjoy them as their taste changes. Hoppy kviek beers using voss have a great orange marmalade taste but fade after 4-5 months, yet the mellow into something less 'brash' and more balanced.
My dipa brewed with verdant yeast tasted of burnt rubber in the 1st month. 3 months later it had gone

** - I find I like these when young and sweet at around 3 months, then after 9 months they go through a licorice phase then at 18+ become plummy.
as I'm not a licorice fan I drink them from 3-9 months then revisit 9+ months later.

So a bit of forward planning to know when the beers taste at their best to/for you is something you'll pick up with experience. But always try a sample bottle of a batch every month or two i'd recommend.

Wheat beers 2 weeks ready to go.
Quads and imperial stouts... 3 months plus**
Saison 6 months.
Other beers age differently over time as @Cwrw666 says and I enjoy them as their taste changes. Hoppy kviek beers using voss have a great orange marmalade taste but fade after 4-5 months, yet the mellow into something less 'brash' and more balanced.
My dipa brewed with verdant yeast tasted of burnt rubber in the 1st month. 3 months later it had gone

** - I find I like these when young and sweet at around 3 months, then after 9 months they go through a licorice phase then at 18+ become plummy.
as I'm not a licorice fan I drink them from 3-9 months then revisit 9+ months later.

So a bit of forward planning to know when the beers taste at their best to/for you is something you'll pick up with experience. But always try a sample bottle of a batch every month or two i'd recommend.

Hi DOJ are you gifted with mystical powers as my next planned beers were kveik Marzen, impy stout, wheat and saison!!!!!. Looks like I’ve blown it for my planned Xmas impy stout then! Brewed the Marzen yesterday but will now brew wheat first, then Saison for next spring and impy stout last.