conditioning, how long?

[b.all]

as we all know, homebrew improves greatly in quality with a bit of conditioning but how long can it be left such that it still improves and doesn't go off?

i've only been brewing about 7-8 monthes now but i've been trying to keep a few from each batch put to one side so that i can let them age.

i'm guessing it varies with style, stronger and more highly hopped beer lasting longer than something like a mild.

[Tramorak]

I have less experience than you, but as far as I know, you have things pretty much spot-on.

I am going to try for a stronger brew next time, and plan to give it a minimum of 6-8 weeks before indulging. (This will be made easier by the fact that I will have about 80 pints of medium strength beer coming to maturity in that time ).

Dave.

[Hoodlum]

Some say a week per 10 points of gravity drop.

I've tended to find it gets to be the best tasting just before it runs out.

[b.all]

i think the week per 10 points is a minimum before it will be getting anywhere near its full potential.

from what i've read belgian beers need longer, is this due to the yeast strain as my kriek has a very unstable yeast sediment.

[brysie]

it gets to be the best tasting just before it runs out.

sob
so true.

i did a coopers real ale a few months back and wasnt impressed , but i had a couple last night and was much surprised.
seems that 2 or 3 months in the bottle does no harm.
on the other hand, the coopers stout i did a while back didnt seem to change much at all over a couple of months.
maybe the stronger the taste, the less you notice any changes.

[Mogwyth]

How long do you want to leave them?

130yr old white shield anyone? http://www.worthingtonswhiteshield.com/oldest_beer.html

[shandypants5]

Yeah.. but I had one of those, and once I looked on the bottom of the bottle for the sell by date, the sediment was all disturbed.

[Mogwyth]

Yeah.. but I had one of those, and once I looked on the bottom of the bottle for the sell by date, the sediment was all disturbed.

Worthingtons actually say the best before date could be a best after date and it's true I had a bottle of White Shield a few weeks ago that was well past it's bbf date and it was fabulous. I have actually brought more just to put away, trying the same with speckled hen too. How posh is that laying up beer

[b.all]

wouldn't have thought there'd be much point with speckled hen. white shield works cos it's a bottle conditioned beer so its unpasteurised and still live with the yeast. speckled hen has been filtered, pasteurised and force carbonated so it isn't a live beer which would improve in the same way.

[Jaz_Allen]

How long do you want to leave them?

130yr old white shield anyone? http://www.worthingtonswhiteshield.com/oldest_beer.html

Good old Burton-On-Trent, How I hate Coors for defacing the Bass Tower, and renaming the Bass Museum of Brewing, I mean seriously, which would you rather go to, the Bass Museum of Brewing, or the Coors Visitors Centre? Worst Rebranding EVER! Anyway, I have managed to segue into a rant about the changing face of Burton, at least Marston's still brews good beer. In case you hadn't guessed I grew up just outside Burton (my Dad moved there for the beer, you see where I get it)

Back to the main topic of this thread, I think i broached my Coopers Lager a little early, a mere two weeks in the keg, it was a little disappointing, still not clearing properly, so I'm gonna leave it alone for another week or two, see if it improves, and I know better now for the Coopers Bitter that is conditioning next to it. Stupid instructions on the can, getting my hopes up. They should change the instructions to a 3 week conditioning period.

[Ady1975]

was the same for me at school, learnt about china, romans, american plains indians and medical history. no english history

[timothio]

a school history trip to auschitwz

Lucky little shites! Where did we go? Richborough Castle. Its not even a sodding castle! Just a couple of walls in a field... Quite what that was meant to teach us I have no idea. All I can remember is being constantly told not to climb on the ruins. What the hell else were we meant to do?

Just so this post isnt completely off topic, I'll add that my first brew is now conditioning, has been for 2 weeks. 10 days in the warm, then out to my coal cellar (approx 10-12 C). I plan to leave them out there as long as is humanly possible, at least a month, 2 if poss. I'll keep myself busy brewing other things until then, but the time will come when I run out of room out there, then I'll have to start drinking them! Oh dear, what a sad day that will be...

[JayBee]

I honestly believe that anything other than a wheat beer needs at least 6 weeks. The Coopers IPA that I made for my Xmas beer early in November was crap at Xmas so I left it, just supping one right now and the taste is sublime, best ever.
The answer, which I am having almighty difficulty explaining to SWMBO is to keep plenty of stock, thats why when she opens a wardrobe and starts tutting away I remind her of the long term savings I`m making.
Brewferms start to get really good after 6 months believe me, save just one to try and you`ll curse drinking the rest too soon.