42 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I've generally found it to be best at about 5 weeks.  it varies depending on the beer though.

5 weeks from brewing or kegging?

[positiveContact]

5 weeks from brewing or kegging?

 

sorry - from the brew day.  I usually keg it around 2 weeks and then a few more weeks to completely clear and condition in the keg seems to do the job.

[Big Nake]

I think I can say with certainty that ales and lagers both need some amount of time to come together, smooth out and be really drinkable. I was serving a young amber ale when we had a bunch of people here for father's day and it was the overwhelming favorite of everyone who was drinking beer. I wondered if it would be better after a couple of weeks and that maybe people would turn to other beers but they didn't. Then I started wondering about the quick method for lagers and whether a lager could be drinkable after just 2-3 weeks. This pilsner that I made (and eventually got clear with gel, brewed 6/4) is delicious but my guess is that by mid-July it will be really good. As I change my production to go from primary to keg and as I use this quick lager method, I'm just trying to get a handle on the best way to time things.