Conditioning times. General rule?

[Greenhorn]

Evening all.

I did my first brew, a Young's APA and the forum has been very forthcoming with the received wisdom being 2 weeks conditioning at room temp and then 2 weeks chilled. The beer then being ok, but getting better for the next few months.

However, I've now done my first AG (a pale porter) and I haven't found any real guidance regarding AG conditioning times in general.

I've obviously come across the markedly different routine for lagering, but is there a general rule for ales?

 

[Niman]

FWIW ale is ale so normal rules should apply

what was recipe for a "pale porter"


sometimes darker beers benifit from longer conditioning

 

[TheRedDarren]

In my experience it depends on the grain bill and to some extent, the yeast.
Maris Otter seems to take 6/7 weeks to mellow and become really smooth, but a wheat beer made from 50/50 wheat malt and Pilsner malt can be ready after two weeks in the bottle.
The darker beers definitely need longer, especially dubbels.

American IPA's which are designed to be drunk fresh before any discernible hop fade are normally made with 2row which is very similar to Pilsner malt, and a neutral yeast.
English style bitters with a complex yeast character and a much more malty grain bill - normally including Maris Otter need longer to condition.

 

[MyQul]

I make a lot of dark beers and find 6 weeks get them to the start of their best. They often continue to improve. OG can also have an effect with lower OG taking less time to condition

 

[DethApostle]

I generally go for 2 weeks fermenting, including a couple of days at 3C to cold crash before kegging/bottling. Then condition the bottles in the warm for 2 weeks and cold for 2+ weeks.
The keg goes straight into the kegfridge under pressure and generally conditions in 2 or 3 weeks. Hoppier beers are better sooner, big high alcohol beers need more time (12+ months for a RIS for example)

DA

 

[Notlaw]

I make a lot of dark beers and find 6 weeks get them to the start of their best. They often continue to improve. OG can also have an effect with lower OG taking less time to condition

Is that 6 weeks in the bottle, or SF plus bottle?

 

[MyQul]

Six weeks bottle.I usually just ferment two weeks in the primary

 

[Greenhorn]

Cheers guys.

The recipe was:

8L
1.6kg Maris
160g E D crystal
80g Choc
8g centennial @ 60 min
8g centennial @ 15min
8g Amarillo @ 5min

It remains to be seen whether the malty flavours or the hops are stronger. Could end up being more of a dark IPA of the hops take over.

But it's my first AG so it's all a bit of a mystery at the moment. :lol:

I'll do the 2 weeks warm, 2 weeks cold and see where it's at.

 

[lukehgriffiths]

I generally go for 2 weeks fermenting, including a couple of days at 3C to cold crash before kegging/bottling. Then condition the bottles in the warm for 2 weeks and cold for 2+ weeks.
The keg goes straight into the kegfridge under pressure and generally conditions in 2 or 3 weeks. Hoppier beers are better sooner, big high alcohol beers need more time (12+ months for a RIS for example)

DA

I use PBs and go for similar to above but the 2+ I go for 1 per expected abv so 4% beer needs 4 weeks in cool.

Bottles I go for 6 months ish minimum. My first bottle experience ended with some Old Vlaams Bruin coming to perfection just after I'd drunk most of them.

If that seems a while get a second brew on soon do you can drink the first while giving the second time... You won't regret it.

 

[Greenhorn]

Blimey. 6 months for a bottled brew.

 

[Battleaxe]

1 week if its clear I drink a couple of bottles usually it's green and bitter...

I find it interesting to drink bottles throughout "Conditioning" just to experience the different stages.

 

[lukehgriffiths]

Only do for occasions or of all kegs full so usually makes wait easy.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Blimey. 6 months for a bottled brew.

more like 9 months for a brewfferm abdij, but oh so worth it.

wheat & hoppy beers are ready much quicker - 4 weeks from bottling. hoppy beers best drunk fresh. The same is supposed to apply to wheat beers but I find my 8% we'll wheat again has not changed much since it was bottled in November - just as good i'd say

 

[Kman]

I use the 2+2+2 rule before I try mine

 

[DethApostle]

I use PBs and go for similar to above but the 2+ I go for 1 per expected abv so 4% beer needs 4 weeks in cool.

Bottles I go for 6 months ish minimum. My first bottle experience ended with some Old Vlaams Bruin coming to perfection just after I'd drunk most of them.

If that seems a while get a second brew on soon do you can drink the first while giving the second time... You won't regret it.

Yep, the benefit of having the corny kegs is that most of the batch goes under pressure and is ready to drink quicker (in general) while the bottles get to sit un-mithered in a case conditioning away! Other than the samples I take to the occasional homebrew meet up they usually only get drunk once the keg is empty!

DA

 

[keat64]

I wouldn't have a clue.
I go around 10-14 days for fermentation, then another 7-10 for secondary fermentation.
Then in the garage for about a week, before i start tasting.

My trouble is then stopping tasting.
It starts with a small glass, which turns in to a few pints, at which point, i might as well drink the rest.
2-3 weeks later a 23l brew has gone.

maybe i'm borderline alcoholic

 

[Birkin]

1 week if its clear I drink a couple of bottles usually it's green and bitter...

I find it interesting to drink bottles throughout "Conditioning" just to experience the different stages.

I do too, I think everyone should do the same to get a feel for how beers condition, if you like hoppy beers then they're probably best drank early as hops fade considerably throughout the first 3 weeks.

My Hobgoblin and Stout have just got better and better as they've aged, I've also noticed that carbonation takes 2-3 weeks to be about there, but allowing 6 weeks definitely helps.

 

[mike77]

Brewing an ipa today that I hope to be able to drink next Saturday. San diego super yeast should chew through it in 2 to 3 days and clear quickly. I'll dry hop while fermenting and probably add more to the keg. Then I'll force carb and chill. Quickest I've done was 4 days and I think it could have been pushed a little faster

 

[dad_of_jon]

Brewing an ipa today that I hope to be able to drink next Saturday. San diego super yeast should chew through it in 2 to 3 days and clear quickly. I'll dry hop while fermenting and probably add more to the keg. Then I'll force carb and chill. Quickest I've done was 4 days and I think it could have been pushed a little faster

blimey - that's amazing!:-o

with bottles I give mine 2-3 weeks to avoid bottle bombs, I suppose kegs win there!

can't post a keg to a forum member tho' :p

although i'm sure stevej would send his chauffeur down to collect one for him :lol:

 

[mike77]

All depends on how well the yeast kicks off. I've got a good starter going so am hopefull it should kick off strongly.

When I did the 4 day one it wasn't really planned. I took a measurement on day 3 and realised it had fermented out and dropped clear already. I had friends coming round at the weekend and decided two beers on offer would be better than just the one that I already had kegged. I carbed it by shaking the keg under pressure then put it in the fridge and pulled a pint the next night. It was 6 days old by the time they drank it and they preferred it over the conditioned one. I would say the main thing I noticed was the malt mellowed out a little as it aged. It had more of a raw malty taste like how it tastes while you are mashing, slightly ovaltine like.