2/ No, don’t go much lower though. 75 -even 80F will help you get thorough carbonation a bit quicker than say 65.
3/ Fresher is better with IPA. Just try not to let it be literally green - ie., if you filter out the hop particles thoroughly with a fine mesh bag or piece of women’s hose then I say drink it as soon as it’s carbed.
If you bottlettle condition between 75-80 for average size beds they can be done in 7-10 days easy.
If you practice good fermentation with proper pitch and temp control your beer won’t be “green” or “young” or whatever after its been carbonated unless you’re talking about a complex high gravity beer, at least this is my experience YMMV:)
Thanks for the responses…does refrigeration after carbing do anything to prevent bottle explosions? Not that I’m expecting any, but just curious if it’s recommended for any purpose for storage (vs. non-chilled) of up to a couple of months.
it can help. ale yeast don’t like it cold so they will slow way down. generally beers that are best fresh will do best stored cold so they will maintain that youthful vigor while beers you want to age for a while do better around 55 so the reactions can occur a bit faster.
How long can I have my beer bottled before refrigerating? Will leaving them in the basement cause them to pop? I don’t have a lot of space in the refrigerator, not for 30 bottles (22 oz)
You can have them sitting outside the fridge indefinitely without getting bottle bombs, unless there was too much sugar in the bottles. Leave them out of the fridge until they are carbonated, then refrigerate to keep the flavor from deteriorating. If you can’t refrigerate, just keep them as cool as you can.
Is there a preferred amount of time to refrigerate before drinking? I have read that 48 hours is needed, but I am wondering if that is important or can I just wait until it is cold? I’m assuming this is for proper flocculation.