When should you put it in the fridge

11 months ago | Jim (Member)

Hey fellas,

What is your view on storage and refrigeration? I am storing my first 2 ever batches in the garage which is generally pretty cool, the waiting is killing me :-)

I have heard that refrigeration helps the beer clear, but I am assuming that this also stops any secondary fermentation in the bottle? So how long should you let it run after bottling before refrigeration? Should you store it refrigerated or is it best to just leave in a dark cool place (like the back of the garage)?

Have a TOP weekend!!

Jim.

“If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it” (Albert Einstein)

Drinkin' - Midas Touch Golden Ale
Drinkin' - Coopers Real Ale (dry hopped)
Conditionin' - Tarwebier
Fermenting' - Admirals Reserve
Plannin' - A Wherry (with Saracen's enhancement)

Read responses...

Responses

wildbrew:

Posted 11 months ago by Member

Hi jim
I leave my beer in the shed and it turns out spot on :-)
when i put it in the barrel i leave it for to days in the kitchen,then it matures for 4 weeks in the shed.

refrigeration can some times make H/B beer go hazy.

Monk:

Posted 11 months ago by Member

I give it a week at room temperature for the bottle fermentation, then two to four weeks in the back of the garage, depending on the beer & my patience.
Best to get another batch on the go to keep a rolling stock, as you can only test your patience so far.

Hamish:

Posted 11 months ago by Moderator

For bottle conditioning, a week somewhere warm then at least a week somewhere cool (not the fridge) for me.

If you're short of patience try a wheat beer, you can be drinking it in 3 weeks or less, provided you like the stuff of course.

http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/ready-in-two-weeks#post-7584

Planning: Wheat beer fermented with Schneider Weisse yeast, a Stout, lots of hoppy pale ales
Fermenting: Summer pale ale
Maturing/Conditioning: Marynka pseudo-lager
Drinking: Wheat beer, ESB, Vienna lager & shop bought stuff

Jim:

Posted 11 months ago by Member

Thanks guys. The Caxton Real Ale has been in the bottle at the back of the garage for 1 week and looks totally clear. The instructions said to leave for 2 weeks or until clear, so I think that I am going to give it a go

kilconlea:

Posted 11 months ago by Member

Only been brewin 6 months so a beginner really but if anyone asked what was the best advice I could give (other than cleanliness), it would be wait at the very least, a month before drinking any brew. By all means have a couple of snifters to check things out but that's it. Had at least a half dozen brews which I didn't have at their best until it was nearly gone. It's not easy, even knowing this I still start drinking way too early but I have no self-control it seems.
It's only the Headcracker which has lasted (4 months now) as I can only manage 2 or so a week of those.

Fermenting; Golden Lager, St Peters Golden
Conditioning; Diabolo, TTL
Planning; SNPA
Drinking; Headcracker, Pinot Grigio, WTA

Monk:

Posted 11 months ago by Member

Kilconlea hits the nail on the head.
Many elements to the fine tuning of this game, but the most important yet simplest one is the real hurdle.
Patience.

Jim:

Posted 11 months ago by Member

Sounds like good advice, thanks fellas!

peter:

Posted 11 months ago by Member

I only put bottles in the beer fridge the day I am going to use them The rest of the time they are with the kegs and yes give them at least two weeks As its a wet day I am making a spread sheet of all the kits I have done by make type SG start date etc etc. Its going to take all day

5 gal geordie bitter
5 gal St Peters Golden Ale as per tin
Youngs Harvest Mild
all a bit moded

Reply

You must log in to post.