Need some help from those more experienced than me. I have only brewed 3times and am unclear on timeline since I keg and do not bottle. Most kits say after secondary, bottle condition for 2weeks. Since I keg, should I leave beer in secondary for 2 more weeks, or keg and let condition in keg for 2 weeks prior to drinking, OR just keg and drink.
Thanks so much,
T
Really depends on a few things… what style of beer to you tend to brew? Bottle conditioning for 2 weeks is more for ensuring carbonation. Do you force carb?
I tend to like to brew Pale Ales and IPAs more than anything, so I’ll go 3-4 weeks in primary, cold crash for a couple days, then keg. I’ll dry hop in the keg, if I’m going to dry hop, and hook it up to about 15 psi for at least a week, usually 2 before drawing a pint. No secondary really necessary. Other styles, depending on what they are, I’ll secondary, then keg after X amount of time. I’ve got a cocoa cayenne porter that I had in primary for 3 weeks, then racked onto the cocoa and etc., which will sit another few weeks, then I’ll keg and store until I have some space in the kegerator.
I have only made three so far but yes they have been a pale and 2 IPAs. I have force carbonated all three. So it sounds like I will add the bottle conditioning that I don’t do either to carboy or to the keg before tasting. Thanks.
Substitute “keg” for “bottle”.
If you are using the “set it and forget it” method of carbonating, that is your “keg conditioning” time.
I have always been of the opinion that bottled beers tasted poorly until they were 4-6 weeks in the bottle. I just feel like they are not well conditioned until that point. My experience is that kegged beers can be ready to drink as soon as they are carbed, whether shaken or letting it sit to carbonate. Having said this, i have found that kegged beers do continue to get better in taste better the longer they sit, but much faster than bottled beer.
Just my opinions and taste buds.