22 replies to this topic

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I have some beer I bottled over a week and a half ago and I'm really getting the itch to try it. I usually give them 2 weeks but I'm not sure I can make it that long...

[RommelMagic]

Well, hell, just pop one open and see! I haven't bottled in a looooooong time. But 1 1/2 weeks doesn't sound too far off.

[CaptRon]

In the warmer months I try in a couple/few days but I am really an impatient bastard. I would definitely try after a week/week and a half.

[Big Nake]

I think you could check them anytime if you want to see what's going on. I hate to respond this way, but I realized (when I bottled) that I do not like the flavor of the young bottled beers. I liked them when they smoothed out which normally took 4-6 weeks. I know that's a long time and many people told me that was too long, but if I detected any of the green beer flavor associated with corn sugar-primed bottles, I didn't like the beer... so I waited longer. Cheers.

[Cliff Claven]

I wait until the soda bottle has become rigid. Then add a few days

Edited by Cliff Claven, 24 February 2010 - 06:04 PM.

[BarelyBrews]

Yeah its tough to wait,thats what pushed me into kegging .I used to use a plastic beer bottle(plastic)for the test bottle.Warmer temps it would carb faster. Usually by two weeks i was testing a bottle,and when it was perfected around five weeks in the bottle i had it gone or given away.

[beach]

I usually wait at least 2 weeks. Depending on the OG it could be carbed in a 1 1/2 weeks though. If my pipeline was drying out I'd open one of the and check it out. Then again, my palate apparently isn't quite as discerning as that of Mr. Leonard. Beach

[Big Nake]

I usually wait at least 2 weeks. Depending on the OG it could be carbed in a 1 1/2 weeks though. If my pipeline was drying out I'd open one of the and check it out. Then again, my palate apparently isn't quite as discerning as that of Mr. Leonard. Beach

Yeah, I know... sorry about that. I just remember drinking some early and thinking Well, this isn't as good as I hoped, but it's not bad... and then it would get to the 6 or maybe 8 week mark and it would be really, really good... but I only had 5 bottles of it left! DOH!

[gnef]

It sounds to me like you just need to brew more often so you aren't pining for the current batch. In my mind, this is really the way to be able to drink beer at its prime without having to be anxious over it.I am personally at the point where a beer can be ready to drink for months before it gets on the kegerator, and by that time, it is definitely good to drink, and I don't have to worry about trying to drink it too early.

[Big Nake]

It sounds to me like you just need to brew more often so you aren't pining for the current batch. In my mind, this is really the way to be able to drink beer at its prime without having to be anxious over it.I am personally at the point where a beer can be ready to drink for months before it gets on the kegerator, and by that time, it is definitely good to drink, and I don't have to worry about trying to drink it too early.

+1This is how you get the patience to leave beers alone long enough for them to smooth out. Just brew more.

[realbeerguy]

The plastic soda bottle is a good idea. When I bottled, always bottled one clear bottle to check on the progress of the dregs in the bottom. and waited a minimum of 2 weeks.

[ncbeerbrewer]

It sounds to me like you just need to brew more often so you aren't pining for the current batch. In my mind, this is really the way to be able to drink beer at its prime without having to be anxious over it.I am personally at the point where a beer can be ready to drink for months before it gets on the kegerator, and by that time, it is definitely good to drink, and I don't have to worry about trying to drink it too early.

+2 (Ken was the +1)

[Joe]

Heck, I don't even wait for it to hit the bottle. I usually have one or two while I'm bottling it.I have noticed that with the beers that I have added gelatin to, it takes much longer for the beer to carb - my MLPA is going on week two and is still only lightly carbed. I also tried using table sugar in one batch and that is a horrible idea. Once it carbonates, it's fine, but if you like to sample early (like me) the taste of table sugar in beer is just awful. The residual of sweetness of corn sugar in an unattenuated bottle of beer is bad enough - table sugar is unbearable.I brew a lot and still can't wait. Sure, I may have 10 cases of beer ready to drink, but that stout I just brewed, well, I just can't wait to try it. That's why I don't keg. (and because I'm a cheap bastard).

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

+1This is how you get the patience to leave beers alone long enough for them to smooth out. Just brew more.

I have plenty of beer (check my sig) - I'm more antsy to see if this beer carbed up and to get a general sense of what it will be like when I age it for a while (it is after all an old ale). So it's not for for lack of beer - I'm just excited about this one in particular

[MakeMeHoppy]

Just to echo some of the other updates. When I bottled I would also put the end in either a 12oz or 1 liter soda bottle. You can check for carbonation by squeezing the bottle and also check for clarity. I always opened that bottle after about a week to get a good feel for how the rest of the batch would be. The soda bottle beer was usually a partial bottle that would have just been thrown out anyway so it is all win. If it didn't carb I can use a carb cap and then I'd open a regular bottle after another week.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

okay I tried a bottle. It's not quite as carbonated as I expected but they could just need another week or so. Would it help if I inverted the bottles to rouse any yeast off the bottom? This yeast seems to be an excellent floccer.

[Big Nake]

okay I tried a bottle. It's not quite as carbonated as I expected but they could just need another week or so. Would it help if I inverted the bottles to rouse any yeast off the bottom? This yeast seems to be an excellent floccer.

I wouldn't do that. If you're impatient, you could move them to a warmer place. Inverting the bottles is fine, but generally not necessary. I hope it comes out good, Zym. Cheers.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I wouldn't do that. If you're impatient, you could move them to a warmer place. Inverting the bottles is fine, but generally not necessary. I hope it comes out good, Zym. Cheers.

65F is as warm as it gets in casa de zym in the winter

[CarlosM]

I have some beer I bottled over a week and a half ago and I'm really getting the itch to try it. I usually give them 2 weeks but I'm not sure I can make it that long...

usually 2-3 weeks.

[Joe]

I just had a stout fully carbonate in the bottle in less than a week. I was expecting a flat beer and was plesantly surprised to a full head of foam and bubbly goodness. The MLPA which I racked on top of gelatin for two weeks is on week 3 and could still use another week in the bottle (maybe more).