Listen to the Master Brewers when they say “Be Patient!”
I brewed a White House Honey Ale and Winter recipe. After 2 weeks of bottle conditioning I opened up and tasted the bottles. To my surprise there was no Carbonation and no Foamy Head. I was mighty disappointed and ready to throw out my beer. Though I did not and just let be. I started some cider recipes and 2 months had pass. In order have enough bottles to bottle my new cider I had to dump my beer. First crack, “Psst”…What???..poured and Voila! A foamy head!
Glad I didn’t dump the BEER!!! P.S. Cider tasted great, too!!!
Listen to the Master Brewers when they say “Be Patient!”
I brewed a White House Honey Ale and Winter recipe. After 2 weeks of bottle conditioning I opened up and tasted the bottles. To my surprise there was no Carbonation and no Foamy Head. I was mighty disappointed and ready to throw out my beer. Though I did not and just let be. I started some cider recipes and 2 months had pass. In order have enough bottles to bottle my new cider I had to dump my beer. First crack, “Psst”…What???..poured and Voila! A foamy head!
Glad I didn’t dump the BEER!!! P.S. Cider tasted great, too!!!
“BE PATIENT…!”
:cheers: and Good Brewing!!![/quote]
In my experience, it’s pretty rare for a beer to really be ready to drink only 2 weeks after bottling. Even if carbonation is complete, the flavor of most beers will still need a little more development than 2 weeks will give. 4 weeks is my standard maturation/carbonation period for normal gravity beers, and some brewers will tell you that even that length of time is not long enough. You’ll learn with experience how much time your beers need.
We bottle condition at room temperature, all summer when the house was 75, most brews were fine at 2 weeks. In the winter, since the house has been 65, I’ve had some batches that we’re only barely drinkable at 4.
Ha! You know you are a brewer when you wish your house could be a bit colder to help with the beer.[/quote]
I’ll top that one. When my ex and I were out shopping one night a few years ago and she was looking at a breast pump to use when our son was born, the thought actually passed through my mind for a split second: “Hmm…I wonder if I could find some way to repurpose that thing and use it as a wort recirculator when she’s done with it?”. Is that messed up or what? That’s when I knew for sure that I was definitely obsessed with brewing, like maybe to the point where it isn’t even healthy. I’d insert an emoticon here, but I wouldn’t even know which one would be appropriate. NB forum, the floor is all yours here.
My wife understands the impact that each degree of thermostat has on the heating bill. Sweaters are reusable.
The two teenagers get no sympathy when they come down in bare feet and complain that the house is cold. >shakes head<
Luckily no one has noticed/commented that the fermenter’s heater has been running to keep the belgians in the basement happy. (the basement is currently at lager temps)
I’m one of the new brewers! After tons of hinting, my gf picked me up the small batch kit with the caribou slobber and the How to Brew book. Going to atlantic city tomorrow and planning on cooking up my first ever batch when we get home! I am way too excited right now haha
Good to know that the beer can get more carbonated and stuff if I wait longer. I could have done the unthinkable and drain pour it! :oops:
We’ve all been there, my last batch of beer (an amber ale with extra malts & hops we had left over from prior batches - clean out the old/make way for new kind of thing) after 4 weeks was hardly carbonated at all but tasted so good I didn’t care - 2 months later it taste even better & is carb’d just right - nice tight bubbles till the end of my glass.
