How long in the bottle before test/drinking

[RealToast]

After completing fermentation after 13 days (including dry hopping after fermentation was complete), I bottled 5 gallons of IPA on 12/4. I used the Nothern Brewer calculator to get the correct amount of primer in before bottling. They've been sitting inside at a consistent 74-deg since bottling. I'm hoping to chill a few for Christmas (about 3-wks from bottling). Too soon?

Am I right that, if it took, say, 10-days to complete fermentation, then wouldn't it take about that same amount of time, or less, to carbonate?

If not, what is an optimal period for carbonation?

Thanks!

 

[Sadu]

3 weeks at 74 for an IPA should be perfect in my opinion. It will often be ready at 1-2 weeks but my experience is that it ALWAYS gets better with 3.

 

[PADave]

In the summer when my basement is warmer I try one after about 5-6 days. Tried my most recent bottling yesterday. Was only 5 days and not ready yet, as my basement is about 62 degrees. Drinkable, but not ready. Every IPA I've done was ready at 2 weeks, some a little better at 3.

 

[RM-MN]

I usually am patient and wait the 3 weeks but the last IPA I made I sampled one bottle after 2 days. Hmm.... not every beer will be ready so soon but that one was. 3 weeks should get you a good tasting IPA every time. 2 weeks for most, 1 week for a few. It will depend on the recipe.

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

I usually bottle a few in 8oz Coke bottles for CO2 testing purposes.

I've had beers that take 6 weeks and I've had beers that have taken 5 days.

You just need to sacrifice 1 and open it to see if it's carbonated. That's truly the only way you're going to know.

 

[kh54s10]

3 weeks at 74 for an IPA should be perfect in my opinion. It will often be ready at 1-2 weeks but my experience is that it ALWAYS gets better with 3.

This has been my experience also. At one week, a few have had some carbonation. At 2 weeks, most were carbonated. At 3 weeks ALL of them have tasted better. An IPA is ready at that time. A heavy beer may take many months longer.

 

[Scturo]

I've experienced 2-4 weeks with my batches. 3 weeks seems to be the right spot for taste and proper carbonation. One week would be a long shot, even if the beer tastes good, usually, you wouldn't have proper carbonation. You may have some head, but the beer would still be flat.

 

[mattdee1]

I have never had a batch that took longer than 1 week to carbonate. In fact, it often only takes 3-4 days to build up a lot of pressure in the bottles (as tested by squeezing plastic bottles). After that, a few days in a cold fridge to promote dissolving that gas into the beer, and conceivably I could have a cold and nicely carbonated beer in about a week. But at that point, the beer is always notably green in taste, so it’s kind of moot. I guess my point is this: if you’re keen to be able to drink beer X by Y date, then chances are, carbonation is not going to be what holds you up; it’s the conditioning of the beer that draws out the schedule.

In my highly-repeatable experience, assuming the beer is actually good (i.e., sound recipe and process), then it will start to really show it around 10 days in bottle.

There does seem to be something magical about the 3-4 weeks in-bottle mark, as almost every one of my beers turns a corner around that time and settles into its best form. In the range of 1.5 to 3 weeks, the beer can still be quite good, but probably not 100%. For most of my beers, the only thing that improves after the 4-week mark is clarity. Some beers with more bold flavor components (roasted malts, some types of hops) benefit from prolonged aging to mellow out and meld, but the high-turnover “quaffer” type beers most favored by guests (blondes, simple pale ales, etc.) don’t benefit from that.

For context, I should point out that I do mid/low ABV beers exclusively.

 

[tzaccario]

I try mine weekly just to see how things change.. 1 a week, for 3-4 weeks. I have found that usually by week 3 it's starting to come together.

I actually labeled 4 bottles of the stout I recently made with dates so I can taste it at 1, 2, 3 and 4 months, and tucked them away so they don't get mixed up.

 

[Scturo]

I have never had a batch that took longer than 1 week to carbonate. In fact, it often only takes 3-4 days to build up a lot of pressure in the bottles (as tested by squeezing plastic bottles). After that, a few days in a cold fridge to promote dissolving that gas into the beer, and conceivably I could have a cold and nicely carbonated beer in about a week. But at that point, the beer is always notably green in taste, so it’s kind of moot. I guess my point is this: if you’re keen to be able to drink beer X by Y date, then chances are, carbonation is not going to be what holds you up; it’s the conditioning of the beer that draws out the schedule.

In my highly-repeatable experience, assuming the beer is actually good (i.e., sound recipe and process), then it will start to really show it around 10 days in bottle.

There does seem to be something magical about the 3-4 weeks in-bottle mark, as almost every one of my beers turns a corner around that time and settles into its best form. In the range of 1.5 to 3 weeks, the beer can still be quite good, but probably not 100%. For most of my beers, the only thing that improves after the 4-week mark is clarity. Some beers with more bold flavor components (roasted malts, some types of hops) benefit from prolonged aging to mellow out and meld, but the high-turnover “quaffer” type beers most favored by guests (blondes, simple pale ales, etc.) don’t benefit from that.

For context, I should point out that I do mid/low ABV beers exclusively.

For me, proper carbonation is having a lasting head, and the beer continues to bubble up, long after pouring. This doesn't happen for me until about week 3. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, I'll have to watch this.