I've started this topic due to a experience I had tonight and wanted to know what other people thought of their brews when stored in different containers.
I did a Woodfordes Nelsons Revenge kit which finished 3 weeks ago.
I corny'd most of it but bottled the remnants of the secondary.
I've been drinking the corny NR for the last 2 weeks. It's definately changing with time. I'd say it's mellowing and is more like a pub pint. It's sweet, mildly carbonated got lots of taste and a good sticky head.
My wife came home tonight from her parents and her dad wants to try some of my beer. I'm going to send him a bottle or 2 but to be safe I'm going to sample 1 1st.
I opened the 1st bottle tonight after 2 weeks in the bottle, and was totally surprised.
It's gassier than the corny'd beer, has a sharper bitterness (I like this), a stronger aroma of hops, and is all round, a fresher pint.
I didn't expect this as I thought beer matured better in volume.
The bottled sample was as good as premium bottle conditioned beer, like Yougs Champion which I drink regularly.
The corny'd beer was dull by example but more a traditional keg beer.
What are your experiences ?
Hows your beer taste
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mysterio
When my beers are in a keg they're always gone within a week or so, so not enough time to notice any changes.
You're right about bottles though, you can definately notice a range of tastes as the weeks go by. The main thing I notice is they become gassier in the bottle than you intended them to be. I don't know if this is because of the yeast start eating the unfermentables, or themselves, or whatever. The level of carbonation makes a huge difference to how your beers taste.
The one main thing I've always noticed is that the hop bitterness mellows down over time.
Not much experience here though, I've only been brewing for a year. Get used to your beers tasting much better than commercial brews, though B)
You're right about bottles though, you can definately notice a range of tastes as the weeks go by. The main thing I notice is they become gassier in the bottle than you intended them to be. I don't know if this is because of the yeast start eating the unfermentables, or themselves, or whatever. The level of carbonation makes a huge difference to how your beers taste.
The one main thing I've always noticed is that the hop bitterness mellows down over time.
Not much experience here though, I've only been brewing for a year. Get used to your beers tasting much better than commercial brews, though B)
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eskimobob
) but it's so many years since I bottled beer I have no idea about the changes when bottled. I have found the kegged beer becomes drier which I guess is to be expected.-
BlightyBrewer
I tend to keg and bottle, mainly because I like to keep some of the beer by (it doesn't last in the keg!). I too have noticed that the bottled beer can taste a lot different to the kegged. Although, I have found that the carbonation in the bottle is not as good (I think this is down to me not stirring the priming sugar in properly, so not enough gets into the bottles - I use the jeg as a bottling bucket).
My stout, which I am now drinking from the bottles, also tastes more bitter than the kegged version, which was sweeter.
My stout, which I am now drinking from the bottles, also tastes more bitter than the kegged version, which was sweeter.