Early tasting experiences. What did you find?

[SiHoltye]

This is to ask people what they thought of their beers if they have been weak willed enough (like me) to have cracked a bottle every so often before the suggested period of bottle cold conditioning is complete.

What is the undesirable flavour/taste your beer has when it has not been conditioning long enough?

In reverse what flavour/characteristics is it that conditioning/maturing is supposed to let subside/disappear?

(My Paranoia)
I've been through 4 kits that haven't turned out as planned because of poor water. I've resolved this with bottled water. Now on early tastings of my conditioning beer (Midas Touch - 16 days in cold, following 14 primary and 7 warm conditioning) it tastes very 'homebrew' to me: quite yeasty, and also noticeably sweet. If FG was achieved and priming sugars quantity correct can I expect this to get good, or is it bad news.

THANK YOU FOR ANY EXPERIENCES SHARED.

[sparky Paul]

No, the yeast 'bite' and the sweetness will subside as the more complex sugars ferment out during conditioning...

I've just finished the last bottle of Coopers Sparkling Ale I made many months ago, I can say that this last bottle has been the best yet.

[SiHoltye]

That many months you say, is pleasing to hear. New brewer wannabes like me have no patience, and in some places it suggests 4 weeks cold conditioning and we presume guzzle it down after that! Usually can't guzzle though 'cos at 4 weeks it doesn't taste like good beer.

Beer matures quicker in bulk right. If middle of the road bottled ales appear to take possibly 3 months start to finish minimum to hit the makers intended flavour range (I'm only suggesting this based on nothing!), then how long for beer matured in a keg? Much difference? I've never kegged a beer. How long before it's drinkable, do you add finings? I just wonder if I should switch my storage method from bottles to kegging for faster product.

[ade1865]

Well I bottled my fixby gold last night, and as there was a little spare I had a wee taster. nice, needed more body prehaps and was sweet, but I'm presuming thats the priming sugar coming through.

My patience is thin too, in fact its non existant. so my plan is to get enough kits going where the pressure is off to drink one as soon as it clears. also, in the interim, before the first kit is properly ready I'll probabaly indulge in increasing my collection of empty beer bottles

Oh, and probabaly nip down the local brewery and buy 2 gallons to keep me going...

[ColinKeb]

i usualy taste mine after 2 weeks in secondary , if its not clear or tastes too bitter or yeasty then i leave it for longer. occasionaly ive tried it at a week in secondary and unless its london pride or something low in strength its just too rough to drink with any enthusiasm.

[sparky Paul]

That many months you say, is pleasing to hear. New brewer wannabes like me have no patience, and in some places it suggests 4 weeks cold conditioning and we presume guzzle it down after that! Usually can't guzzle though 'cos at 4 weeks it doesn't taste like good beer.

I find that some beers get to a drinkable stage sooner than others, typically darker and stronger beers (the Sparkling Ale was aroung 6%) taste better when left for as long as possible. Whilst some beers are drinkable at 3-4 weeks, they certainly don't reach their best in this time.

If middle of the road bottled ales appear to take possibly 3 months start to finish minimum to hit the makers intended flavour range (I'm only suggesting this based on nothing!), then how long for beer matured in a keg? Much difference? I've never kegged a beer. How long before it's drinkable, do you add finings? I just wonder if I should switch my storage method from bottles to kegging for faster product.

Not really sure about kegging, I bottle everything - albeit using 2 litre bottles. I never add finings, and though it does take some beers a while to clear when ambient is warmer, they do clear after a few weeks... If you want your beer to fall bright as quickly as possible, consider using Safale S-04 yeast.

[oxford brewer]

3 G's

No1 Get 2(at least ) Fermenting buckets on the go(and perhaps the odd carboy for secondary )

No2 Get brewing more often so that beers have time to mature

No3 Get more kegs and bottles so that the brews can be at different stages of conditioning,then repeat No2

PS the money for this should all be funded from the household expenses

[prodigal2]

3 G's

PS the money for this should all be funded from the household expenses

What else

Anyways your saving on the housekeeping in the longrun