i drink a galss when i am bottling. i draw off about half a pint to flush my syphon and that gets drunk.
after about 5 days i check a bottle to see if it has carbonated before i move it to the shed to clear. the 5day old, carbonated beer is much much better than the raw beer.
i then let it clear for a week and try one once its clear. this beer is much much better than the newly carbonated beer.
then i find it hard to not 'sample' a bottle a night. after about a fortnight the beer is really very good and i have drunk almost a quater of the brew. still i have a good load of good beer to come.
i am trying to brew a bit quicker, it has been so cold ferm has been taking ages. i want a good stock of well developed beer to enjoy.
i would say, as long as you dont go mad, 'sample' your brew regularly so you can see how much it improves over time. this is giving me a bit more will power to hold off drinking too much as i know it always tastes better after a few weeks.