So I’m brewing several big beers in the next week or so, all of which will benefit (I’m sure) from extended aging. All are ales; a Midas Touch clone (already bottled and carbonating for about a week and a half, 9% ABV) an Imperial Stout (brewing it tonight, 11ish% ABV) and a mondo barley wine-esque ale. (aiming to brew it this week, 14-16% ABV)
What are the best aging temps and times for big beers like this? Should they, at least the ones I’ve put in champagne bottles and corked, be stored like wines? (on they’re side with a slightly downward angle to prevent cork drying) How about the capped bottles? Should it be done at room, cellar or fridge temps? Is the aging time simply “the longer the better,” or are there more specific guidelines to follow?
Aging is best at cellar temps in my opinion, but they need to carbonate first. I would wait at least a month and then open a bottle and check the carbonation level to decide if it needs to go longer. Once they are carbed then I would move them to cellar temps. I store all of my beers upright, for what it’s worth.
How long to store them? Who knows, the beer will tell you. Wait anther 3-6 months and try a bottle and see how it’s doing. Wait 3-12 months after that and try again. Longer is not necessarily better, but you’ll have to judge for yourself by tasting the beers.
As mentioned, we’ve discussed this in a few threads so search for aging, cellaring, etc.
Consensus (with a few remaining dissenters) is that beer should be aged upright, at cellar temps, in the dark. Equally important to cellar temps is stable temp with as few temp swings as possible.
Aging is a crap shoot. But as with most forms of gambling, it can be very rewarding. Best to sample at intervals and make your best guess as to when a beer is peaking and then drink it up. That said, some beers can age for decades and go through subtle changes in flavor and complexity that you won’t get any other way. There are rewards for the patient!
I agree with Tom and tumarkin. Cellar temps and dark.
I prefer to age my Barleywines and Imperial Stouts as my SOP but there are others that prefer to drink them on the younger side. It’s a personal choice. I think each recipe will vary to some degree. I think most brewers will age their bigger beers as a ROT.
Your best bet is taste the beer as it ages and decide from that.
if you HAVE to age to correct a flaw, something is off in your process. Big beers should be drinkable to the point where you wnat to drink them, not age them. Most importantly is to ferment cool so as not to develop the hot, fusel flavors.
Aging will alter the beer, frequently to the better.