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Author Topic: Christmas gifts - aging beer  (Read 1043 times)

Offline tommymorris

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Christmas gifts - aging beer
« on: March 05, 2016, 01:38:39 pm »
I am planning to brew a batch and bottle in nice flip top bottles for Christmas gifts.

I was planning a Russian Imperial Stout. I was going to brew an Old Rasputin clone recipe from the AHA website. http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/north-coast-old-rasputin-clone/

How long should I age the beer? In other words should I hurry up and brew or wait a while?

Edit: actual the article says age only a month or so due to lots of late hops. I missed that before.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2016, 01:41:47 pm by alestateyall »

Offline brewinhard

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Re: Christmas gifts - aging beer
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2016, 01:41:11 pm »
I don't want to burst your bubble, but the flip top bottles (IMO) do not age beers well.  They simply let too much oxygen in over time and lead to a much faster rate of oxidation in your beer.  I would really only use those for immediate consumption, but that is just me, and I HATE oxidized beer.

Offline tommymorris

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Re: Christmas gifts - aging beer
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2016, 01:42:48 pm »

I don't want to burst your bubble, but the flip top bottles (IMO) do not age beers well.  They simply let too much oxygen in over time and lead to a much faster rate of oxidation in your beer.  I would really only use those for immediate consumption, but that is just me, and I HATE oxidized beer.
Well that sucks. A friend gave me 60 bottles. I spent weeks removing labels.

Offline brewinhard

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Re: Christmas gifts - aging beer
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2016, 01:45:36 pm »
They are good bottles for filling and taking to parties or to give to friends that will consume them fairly quickly, but I would not age an expensive, big beer in them.

Offline bigchicken

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Re: Christmas gifts - aging beer
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2016, 08:16:11 pm »
I am planning to brew a batch and bottle in nice flip top bottles for Christmas gifts.

I was planning a Russian Imperial Stout. I was going to brew an Old Rasputin clone recipe from the AHA website. http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/north-coast-old-rasputin-clone/

How long should I age the beer? In other words should I hurry up and brew or wait a while?

Edit: actual the article says age only a month or so due to lots of late hops. I missed that before.

Bottle issue aside, I'd brew it soon. Most big beers benefit from aging. Double IPA, maybe not. I'm finding beers over 7% can benefit from aging for 4 or more years, depending on the style.

For what it's worth, I hide back a few bottles of each batch just to see how it ages. That way I can try to find the "prime" drinking age. Some will surprise you.
TJ Cook

On Deck: Planning
Fermenting: Nothing
In bottles: It's All About MEAD!