So...Should I have one?

[hokieguy95]

I brewed Belgian Strong Dark Ale over Thanksgiving. It was around 9.5 ABV. Bottled it mid December and it's on week 5 Bottle conditioning. I know High gravity beers should bottle condition for longer than average...weeks even months, but I'm dying to have a go at one. I had planned to open one on Valentines day (8 weeks)

So my question is should I crack one open and give it a try? I really want this to be good and am worried about it carbonating since it's such a big beer. So please tell me the truth on taste testing tonight.

I will not have one until I get the blessing of at least 3 HBT posters.

Hurry now.... I put one in the Freezer about 45 minutes ago and it's waiting on your blessing for me to partake......

 

[soccerdad]

I'LL have one ! You wait a few weeks

 

[b-boy]

You're not drinking it, you're analyzing it. Go ahead - it's for science.

 

[botigol]

Opening one per month in order to track how it is developing is the right thing to do! All enjoyment is a secondary consideration :0)

 

[GuldTuborg]

You bottled pretty soon after pitching, so I imagine a fair amount of viable yeast went into the bottles. Hence, it may well carbonate faster than larger beers generally do. I say drink one.

 

[SteveLikesBeer]

You should taste along the way, right? Go for it but remember it's still getting better!

 

[rossi46]

Sure have one. I like to see how they progress as they mature.

 

[hokieguy95]

Yezz, but I know I will be violating a very big rule of Home brewing in partaking too early. That is.....if it is not done, complete, or conditioned properly, I will have one less beer to enjoy.

Plus, I've already had two Dogfish 90 minutes.......

 

[WileECoyote]

READ THIS ! ! !

5 weeks is a short time conditioning for a strong, do you want to drink good beer ? that takes time.

and just so you know, you need to chill a beer for 3 days in the fridge before opening it, this allows the co2 in the head space time to get into solution, giving your beer the carbonation you want.

Chilling it and opening it in 45 min, you are setting your beer up for failure, it is most likely going to create a flat beer anyway.

Cheers

P.S. I vote NO, sorry you asked for the truth Right? lol

 

[CUrchin]

Send a few to me. I'll let you know how they turned out.

 

[hokieguy95]

Ok. Wiley you are the thread winner. I still have about 42 of these left but went ahead and cracked one open. Everything you said is true and I knew this against my better judgment. I'm usually much more disciplined. But the votes were counted.....

Leaving beer in Fridge 1 hour.....Check - Pretty flat

5 weeks carbonation......Check - Needs much more time

Taste.....Check - A little bit cloy for a Belgian, but my attenuation wasn't what I wanted....but once this carbs I'm going to make my wife VERY happy.....and thus....ME very happy. The fusel alcohols are going to really mellow over time so I'm encouraged.

I think that late March might be better for this beer. So it's put this one aside and get to brewing more.

 

[WileECoyote]

Ok. Wiley you are the thread winner. I still have about 42 of these left but went ahead and cracked one open. Everything you said is true and I knew this against my better judgment. I'm usually much more disciplined. But the votes were counted.....

Leaving beer in Fridge 1 hour.....Check - Pretty flat

5 weeks carbonation......Check - Needs much more time

Taste.....Check - A little bit cloy for a Belgian, but my attenuation wasn't what I wanted....but once this carbs I'm going to make my wife VERY happy.....and thus....ME very happy. The fusel alcohols are going to really mellow over time so I'm encouraged.

I think that late March might be better for this beer. So it's put this one aside and get to brewing more.

WHOOO HOOO Im the Winner ! ! !

Sorry to hear you got thread suckered into trying your potentially great beer to soon.

I might wait even longer than march on that beer, but if you must try it again in march, I would only try 1 and please leave it in the fridge for 3 days before popping the top.

If it were mine ? maybe end of april or mid may before i would try one. save a few a lot longer too.

Maybe have your wife hide them? lol,

Cheers and please let us know how it turned out.

 

[DocScott]

Let's be honest... You were going to try it anyways!

I think everyone who posted knew it wouldn't be perfect yet, but because you have 40 plus more, and had already fridged one to try, just told you what you wanted. (I would've said try it now too)

I have 6-8 different beers in my pipeline now and still try my beers a bit prematurely after brewing. It's one of the two things I can't help myself doing when it comes to brewing...that and watching the airlock/blow off bubble!

 

[GuldTuborg]

Sorry it was flat. At any rate, you have a rough idea how far it's coming along. I really doubt you need to give it much fridge time to hit the right carbonation equilibrium, but I suppose it doesn't hurt.

 

[WileECoyote]

Let's be honest... You were going to try it anyways!

I think everyone who posted knew it wouldn't be perfect yet, but because you have 40 plus more, and had already fridged one to try, just told you what you wanted. (I would've said try it now too)

I have 6-8 different beers in my pipeline now and still try my beers a bit prematurely after brewing. It's one of the two things I can't help myself doing when it comes to brewing...that and watching the airlock/blow off bubble!

Good call DocScott,

As soon as i read he already put one in the fridge, I knew it was to late, but he did ask for the truth lol

As for trying your beers prematurely, My god man control yourself ! lol just kidding, I can't help my self ether some times.

Cheers

 

[hokieguy95]

Good call DocScott,

As soon as i read he already put one in the fridge, I knew it was to late, but he did ask for the truth lol

As for trying your beers prematurely, My god man control yourself ! lol just kidding, I can't help my self ether some times.

Cheers

Actually, I got a little sidetracked and couldn't post this thread before I actually put one in. I had every intention of not drinking it if people were convincing.

I truly did want the truth.....but no Truth tellers to be found at first.

I know it now and it wont happen again.

There was just barely a 'sssst' in that bottle.....so it was carbing. So I'm guessing I should probably leave this alone until at least late April? Whatdya think?

 

[WileECoyote]

Actually, I got a little sidetracked and couldn't post this thread before I actually put one in. I had every intention of not drinking it if people were convincing.

I truly did want the truth.....but no Truth tellers to be found at first.

I know it now and it wont happen again.

There was just barely a 'sssst' in that bottle.....so it was carbing. So I'm guessing I should probably leave this alone until at least late April? Whatdya think?

Yes, with that beer its going to need time to carb/age/condition/finish, you could easily age it 6 months before trying it.

Just my opinion but if it were mine, I would say minimum age to try 1 would be 4 months old.

Cheers

let us know how it is when it has some time on it OK

 

[geek_chaser]

I always put a beer in the fridge for at LEAST one full day before opening it. I had an apple pie ale that took 6 weeks to condition. Since im new, i assumed it would condition like the other beers i brewed (3 weeks), but what i did was try one a week. Finally found the carbonation week and it was delicious. I thought it was good before and feared it would end up a cider, in which case i was going to try heating it up for christmas, but it came out great. patience is everything. Try one a week, and dont get discouraged. Good luck!

Sent from my DROID4 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[WileECoyote]

If you try 1 a week, you will have a lot less beer to drink by the time it becomes good, go with the 1 a month at the shortest, so you can see how it changes if you want to experience it.

That beer needs at least 4 months of aging/conditioning before its going to be good, Trust Me !

Cheers

 

[hokieguy95]

Ok...Here's a question that came up from rereading this thread. This Belgian has been conditioning at about 70 degrees for going on at least 5-6 weeks now.

Do I need to leave it at these temperatures for the duration of the conditioning period or can I place these bottles in my basement? The reason I ask this is because the basement is roughly 55 degrees this time of year and with our couple weeks of polar conditions in my region, It's probably more like 50.

 

[Felixio]

I'm driving to Richmond tonight. I can be there tomorrow to pop on open!

 

[Jayhem]

I drank a full 12 oz glass of my Belgian Golden Strong (9.5% abv) on the day I bottled it. Even flat it was good!

 

[WileECoyote]

Ok...Here's a question that came up from rereading this thread. This Belgian has been conditioning at about 70 degrees for going on at least 5-6 weeks now.

Do I need to leave it at these temperatures for the duration of the conditioning period or can I place these bottles in my basement? The reason I ask this is because the basement is roughly 55 degrees this time of year and with our couple weeks of polar conditions in my region, It's probably more like 50.

The aging/conditioning process will happen a lot faster at 70 deg than at 50 deg, you can move them to the basement, but then plan on aging them 2 to 3 maybe even 4 times longer than at 70 deg to get the same results.

Cheers

 

[hokieguy95]

I drank a full 12 oz glass of my Belgian Golden Strong (9.5% abv) on the day I bottled it. Even flat it was good!

My first attempt at a Dubbel was great flat too. This one had some brewer flaws....

It was an extract batch and my attenuation did not do as I had hoped. I also tasted it flat and went ahead and bottled. Sweet with well pronounced warming alcohol. Not as dry as I'd liked. This beer is a little cloy for my tastes and for the style from what I know on Belgian SDA.

I am hoping that with good carbonation and aging that it gets more balanced. The beer I'm refering to was from this thread
I got around 75% conversion but it finished around 1.025 when I wanted it around 1.015

 

[Zuljin]

It's one beer. Drink it. The world will keep turning.