Bottles: post secondary fermentation

Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
The Homebrew Forum

Help Support The Homebrew Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Lord0

Lord0

Active Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2016
Messages
94
Reaction score
14
Location
NULL
Hi,

So, my bottles have been conditioning at room temp for 2-3 weeks and have been moved to an unheated, outside garage (central scotland, basically ambient temp) to clear and settle.

It seems to be the accepted wisdom that after they have cleared then they are ready to be drunk but that waiting for longer generally improves taste/quality

Questions:

1) Is my understanding of the process correct?
2) IF taste/quality does continue to improve after bottles have cleared then when should the bottles be opened? I have read people saying anything from 4 weeks -> 6 months! I realise this is, to an extent, subjective.
3) How long can the beer be stored in bottles before it starts to degrade? Again, I realise this is subjective and at the mercy of the weather.

Cheers
 
They are ready now mate,i only leave for 1 week warm and 1 week cold,if they aren't clear you can still drink them unless you are fussy, im not.
Where in Central Scotland are you?
 
The amount of time beers take to peak depends on a number of things, how they were made (kit, extract, AG) and the style of beer (light and hoppy, dark and roasty). There are no hard and fast rules, it is best to just sample one each week or so and when they're good tuck in.
 
Deciding factors....
Beer type. Dark or Belgian usually take longer while light or hoppy are usually drunk sooner . The soonest I've opened a bottle is 3 weeks for a wheat beer and it was fine. I've got some bitters and stouts from around June which will be opened Christmas.
How much you can resist temptation to sample them.....try one after a few weeks and see what you think.
I think very high alcohol beers may keep for a couple of years but other stuff not too sure...a year maybe?

Cheers

Clint
 
pms67 said:
They are ready now mate,i only leave for 1 week warm and 1 week cold,if they aren't clear you can still drink them unless you are fussy, im not.
Where in Central Scotland are you?
Click to expand...

Cumbernauld
 
I assume the minimum wait should be until they have cleared?
 
Lord0 said:
Hi,

So, my bottles have been conditioning at room temp for 2-3 weeks and have been moved to an unheated, outside garage (central scotland, basically ambient temp) to clear and settle.

It seems to be the accepted wisdom that after they have cleared then they are ready to be drunk but that waiting for longer generally improves taste/quality

Questions:

1) Is my understanding of the process correct?
2) IF taste/quality does continue to improve after bottles have cleared then when should the bottles be opened? I have read people saying anything from 4 weeks -> 6 months! I realise this is, to an extent, subjective.
3) How long can the beer be stored in bottles before it starts to degrade? Again, I realise this is subjective and at the mercy of the weather.

Cheers
Click to expand...

I usually give bottles 4-5 days at 20°C then drop to 14 for a day or two followed by crash cooling to 2°C until clear. It is usually drinkable then depending of beer style. pale ales with low ABV should be drunk youngish to get the hoppy flavour BUT this is very much dependent on choice.

Darker, heavier ales in particular will continue to mature for a few more weeks , it's not all just about clearing,it is a chemical maturation in the beer.. The hop flavours can meld together giving a much more rounded flavour and in some cases extra bitterness can be added in aged beer from the contribution of beta acids.

As for stability I have a 6.3% IPA made about a year ago, still clear, the initial hop hit is now a more rounded fruity hop flavour and is more balanced now than it was 12 months ago!
 
Cheers guys.

Think I'll try *one* a week and judge it that way :drink:
 
Hi!
I've just finished the final bottle of a Scottish Heavy kit that I brewed in November 2016, and it was still as good as the first bottle, which I enjoyed on Boxing Day.
 
Lord0 said:
I thought this was potentially "skid inducing"? i.e. consuming the yeast in solution was a no no?
Click to expand...

No, it's fine. Well it doesn't bother me anyway - and I often drink a couple of pints of the brew when I'm bottling it. Just to check to quality you understand. And to use up that last half bottlesworth from the bottom of the FV that's kind of a yeasty soup...
 

Similar threads

S
How do i bottle? Newbie....
Replies
5
Views
481
damienair
damienair
David Woods
Undercarbed All Grain - can it be fixed?
Replies
10
Views
672
Twostage
Twostage
benchalmers
Fermentation after cold crash
Replies
4
Views
658
New To Brew Sort OF
New To Brew Sort OF
ssashton
Hazy IPA.. not especially hazy
Replies
10
Views
947
foxy
foxy
old dog new tricks
Kit Cider
Replies
3
Views
171
Graz
Graz

Latest posts

Back
Top