I recently brewed a double IPA and have been perfecting this recipe for a while. I had a 5 gallon batch and bottled 2 gallons and put the rest in my keg. The taste and notes I received from my draft system were beautiful and right where they should be, however tonight I opened a bottle that has been sitting in a dark room at room temperature for 17 days. I am not getting nearly the same flavor, aroma, or overall taste that I received from my draft beer. Honestly it tastes like a completely different beer. I'm wondering what could have happened to bring this about. I'm thinking maybe it had something to do with the priming sugar I used for carbonating the bottles? Too much or maybe not enough? Does anyone have any ideas, or experience with this situation? Thanks guys!
Keg usually gets less oxygen and also to carb keg beer usually is cold conditioned. Cold conditioning beer as opposed to letting it set in a dark room for 17 days should yield better results. I bottle but before I crack the first bottle I make sure to cold condition for a few days minimal.
Thanks for the reply. So maybe I should just keep the bottles in the refrigerator for another week or two then give it another shot?
Naturally carbed beers and forced carbed beers will taste a little different. It's just part of the game. It shouldn't be a matter of dosage for the bottles priming sugar, as you are just trying to meet a CO2 volume here. Don't lose focus on that. There are lots of little variables, like bulk aging, priming sugar, oxygenation, conditioning temperature, sediment from the bottle to serving glass, and numerous factors. You could probably do a blind triangulated taste test and be surprised by how you perceive bottled beer vs kegged beer.
Letting the bottles cold condition usually has a positive impact. I don't know if it will be as good or the same as the kegged beer. I've noticed my IPAs usually hit their stride 4 weeks from bottle date. 2 weeks condition room temp to carb, two weeks cold condition in the fridge.
@GetMeAnIPA has the ‘answer’ in that you beers need more time in the bottle. I consistently notice that my bottle conditioned IPAs reach their peak of flavor about 4-5 weeks after bottling. A difference between bottle conditioned beers and kegged beer is that a secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle as part of the overall bottle conditioning process. This may account for why additional time is needed for the beer to ‘mature’. Cheers!
Thanks guys for all the help! I feel much more confident about the whole thing now, I was a little worried last night. Go forth and drink good beer!
There are a number of variables here as others have pointed out, but one of the most pervasive flaws in homebrewed beer is oxygen exposure, and more oxygen is picked up during bottling than kegging. Oxygen kills hoppy beers.
I find that for beers that should be consumed fresh, kegged versions taste better and for beers that are on the maltier side and can age, the bottled conditioned beers taste better. Just my opinion.
