When Do I Refrigerate?

[peter2468]

I have heard that my home brew will mature best in the fridge. How long after bottling do I refrigerate? if I do it too soon will it stop proper carbonisation?

 

[sandjeep457]

I always thought that it needed to be left at room temp. for about a month to let the yeast do a bit of work whils in the bottle ?

 

[peter2468]

Yeah I was told by the local home brew shop to leave it for three days at the same temp it fermented at then pop it in the fridge, but I have alot of other ways and time periods so i'm not sure what to do.

 

[beerbrewer76543]

I leave mine at least 2 weeks at room temp before chilling / drinking and it usually tastes better after one month in the bottle

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

I leave mine at least 2 weeks at room temp before chilling / drinking and it usually tastes better after one month in the bottle

Good advice. Haven't bottled for a while but when I did I would leave them for about 2 weeks at ambient temp and then try one to taste what they are like. Usually drinkable and carbed up but I would recheck after a full month and detect the difference in maturing.

It's always good to see how the beer changed with age. Put one or 2 in the fridge after 2 weeks. Then a couple more after a month and 1 after every week etc and you will be able to tell when they hit their sweet spot then you will know for next time. All a part of the fun of home brewing! :lol:

 

[stm]

Yes, two weeks at room temp for carbonation minimum (although I will pop one in the fridge after one week for testing because I'm dying to see how it tastes). However, once you have a few batches under your belt, you'll have so many bottles, it will be a physical impossibility to store them all in your fridge.

So don't worry too much, it makes very little difference (except for true lagers that have been expertly fermented and benefit from lagering), just as long as you can avoid exposing them to extreme high temps in summer stored in the garden shed.

 

[Pennywise]

Yep, let carbonation take place at or a couple of degrees above ferment temp for 2 weeks then it'll be carbed nice and good, 3 days is no where near long enough.

 

[peter2468]

Thanks guys great advice. I want to check for over carbonisation after 10 days should I chill it first (so I can drink it) or is it best to do it at room temp?

 

[mkstalen]

You shouldn't have to worry about over carbonisation if you've primed your bottles correctly. How have you done this? Carb drops? Sugar per bottle? Bulk priming?
Probably better off testing it at drinking temperature.

 

[DU99]

i keep mine at room temp..place in fridge a day or two before consuming..some companys actually will tell you longer you store the better,the brew

 

[peter2468]

You shouldn't have to worry about over carbonisation if you've primed your bottles correctly. How have you done this? Carb drops? Sugar per bottle? Bulk priming?
Probably better off testing it at drinking temperature.

I used caster sugar in each bottle, I used the messure that came with the kit and filled it just under full for each. The reason I'm worryed about over carb is the SG only dropped to 1014 it was the same of 3 days (brew was down for 11 days in total) but I just want to be sure.

 

[warra48]

I used caster sugar in each bottle, I used the messure that came with the kit and filled it just under full for each. The reason I'm worryed about over carb is the SG only dropped to 1014 it was the same of 3 days (brew was down for 11 days in total) but I just want to be sure.

You'll be fine.

Just be aware that those sugar measures give you enough sugar to carbonate at the top of the range. A full measure is enough to carbonate a Hefeweizen.
I use caster sugar, but only use about to 2/3rds of the measure for my normal brews.

I store all my beers at ambient temperature. I only place the beers into the fridge about 24 hours prior to consumption. Alternatively, about 1 to 1 hours in the freezer is enough for me. The advice from the HBS is wrong. I've just consumed an English Old Ale I brewed last September. It's been in the bottle at ambient temperature since October last year, until I placed it in the fridge yesterday.