More conditioning problems!

[seymour]

...You have beer around for a couple of years?!...

Yeah, but it's nothing to be proud of. I have a couple reasons. I often submit to BJCP/AHA contests, and you're required to hold-back several bottles for analysis in case you win. Case in point: I submitted two brews to the Sam Adams Longshot Competition back in April, which was judged in June, winners announced in October, but they still haven't sent back our judging results. I know, right?!!! When I finally get my judged results and I haven't won, I like to open a bottle and see what the hell they're talking about and whether I agree. Not surprisingly, I often don't.

Also, I brew weird stuff that takes forever to taste just so. I think my doppelbock, barleywine, old ales, and Imperial strength stuff tastes best with lengthy conditioning, even a little oxidation. Mead is typically best at 3-5 years. Same with my plum wine which is 4 1/2 years old and keeps getting better. I can't take credit for will-power on that one. I've been too lazy to figure out how to cork wine bottles, so I keep sneaking sips from the secondary FV! I brewed a mild which was supposed to be consumed super-fresh, right? Except I bittered with wormwood, which tasted odd until 9-12 months when it became sublime, talkin' absinthe vapors, then every bottle was gone within a couple weeks. My historically accurate pioneer persimmon beer was really harsh until over a year old, when it too turned delicious. Of course the Champagne-like effervescent carbonation might've just been splashing the off-tastes around so much I could no longer taste 'em.

I realize those are anomolies, as most styles taste best fresh (most English ale, in particular, where even carbonation is optional.) Generally speaking I'm trying to be less "precious" about my beers, and let them go while they're young. I brewed my Chocolate Milk Stout last week and I'm hoping "to get amongst it" (one of my favorite Ditch-isms) at Thanksgiving next week. That'll be a big first for me. Sorry for the long-winded response, I've really monopolized this thread!

[weiht]

If u are just talking about carbonation, 1 week at the same temperature as fermentation would be more than sufficient to be fully carbonated, its faster if its warmer. It may take longer if the yeast are too tired possibly from a high alcohol beer like a RIS, but otherwise it should not take longer than 1 week at warm temperature to fully carbonate. At this point, u shld then leave it at cellar temp to condition and let the beer mature and age, before leaving it in the fridge before serving which will help the CO2 to be absorbed in solution.

It's really just simple priming sugar which the yeast would/should ferment out completely almost within 2 days. Starters take just 2 days doesnt it?

PS, i do know that bottle carbonation and the beer conditioning are 2 different things that are happening at the same time. I'm strictly saying that the carbonation should be complete fairly quickly.

[seymour]

I see your point, weiht, but it certainly takes longer for me sometimes, even at warmer temperatures.

Perhaps the difference is that a yeast starter solution is almost entirely fermentable, and typically contains no hostile alcohol and hop-derived anti-fungal; whereas finished beer has a very low percentage of fermentable sugar and does contain those inhibitants? My tired old 8.6% ABV, massively dry-hopped barleywine definitely isn't an ideal environment for yeast to thrive. We all have different levels of spritzy carbonation in mind too, that could account for some of the confusion...