Commemorating wedding with a brew

1) If you are trying to brew a big beer, then it is probably better that you brew it now and let it sit for a few months, so all the flavors can blend properly.

2) Make sure you don't bottle it until it is completely finished fermenting, since big beers can sometimes take longer to finish.

3) Make sure you bottle it in dark glass and keep it somewhere cool and away from sunlight.

4) Argon? I had to look this up to even see if this was a thing. Apparently it is- video for other curious people like me:
I suggest you use CO2.

 

You may want to look at oxygen barrier caps. I have never used them, but apparently they are better for long-term aging. Nitrogen or Argon definitely shouldn't be necessary if you're making a high ABV stout. A beer like that should age very well as long as it isn't too warm or exposed to UV light. Take a look at the BA guide to cellaring beer if you haven't already.

 

Fist off, congratulations! So many people speak ill of marriage, but it is a wonderful thing and if you found the right person it will be magical!

When I got married, I brewed all of the beer, made the sparkling white wine for the toast and made a lot of the spirits as well. Everyone was blown away that I could brew beer on that scale and at how good it was.

A few things to consider based on my specific experience:

1) make sure your venue and your caterer are on board with this. Our first venue choice had some strict policies so we had to get all of the kegs and bottles to the caterer and have them bring it all in and set it up, they were happy to do this for us, but I could see where others might not be. Read the rules and get the okay up front so you don't run into a wall.

2) make enough to sock away a few for future anniversaries and mile markers in your life. It makes a special memory for you and your wife to be to celebrate.

3) consider the palattes of your guests and maybe brew a few different styles so everyone can really enjoy your unique raft and contribution.

4) if you're going to do this you better be focused and on your A++++++ game through the entire process so you don't end up with a disappointing brew or a bunch of gushers, flat beers, etc.

 

I don't want to come across as a party-pooper, but the chances of a new brewer like you pulling this off is slim to none. You are contemplating a complex beer (brewing and aging) that will magnify any brew mistakes you might make. Ask around . . . whose initial brews were good enough to serve at a wedding? With a Sept target you won't have time to re-brew if you lay an egg. There is a reason pilots solo in a simple piper/cessna and not an F-16.

But all is not lost, no shame whatsoever in serving commercial beer. I don't know about Louisiana weddings, but I would not want to serve up a high ABV brew to a large gathering. The unwashed masses who are used to light lagers could suffer mightly during the process . . . bridesmaids won't stand a chance.

If you are determined to serve your own beer, make something simple now . . . an amber ale, maybe a saison or brown porter, and measure your brew prowess. You easily have time to brew/age/drink then tweak your process and repeat before Sep.

I used Argon in the headspace of a secondary once . . . partly in an attempt to minimize some oxidation and partly for the wow effect. I lost on both counts. While Ar sounds exotic, good ole carbon dioxide is the gas of choice here.

 

To offer a counterpoint to @PortLargo , the first beer I ever brewed was for my wedding, a Rye IPA at about 8% ABV, and it came out great. As a chemist (and with help from other brewers), you should have no issue. Just make sure (1) you do all the necessary reading ahead of time; (2) choose and don't deviate from a tried and true recipe; (3) make sure you have the necessary equipment and that it is the right size for what you are attempting; (4) know how all of your brewing equipment works including your bottle fillers; (5) use the right water for the job; and (6) SANITIZE REALLY WELL.

Since you have a good amount of time between now and when the beer needs to be ready, you may want to brew a small (low volume AND low ABV) practice beer, just to take yourself through the process once. Even though you're a chemist, it really couldn't hurt. You don't even need to wait until the test batch fully ferments. Just sanitize the equipment really well afterwards.

Before brewing my first beer, I had familiarized myself with several parts of the process ahead of time, such as making yeast starters, practiced bottling, played with blending other beers and flavor combinations, and playing with various carbonation levels on beers brewed by others.

 

Here's what I would recommend: spend the next few months brewing as many batches as possible (it's fun!). Once you've got a bit more practice, brew up your big stout shortly before the wedding and label it to be "enjoyed after" a date when it will have aged appropriately. With the extra practice, the beer will probably turn out better than if you brewed it today, and your guests will have something to enjoy that will remind them of the wedding 6 months or so after the event.

 

I would try to encompass the whole people palate spectrum brewing your desired Stout , an average beer and a soft beer(specially for women). This way everybody could choice what it´s suitable for his/her liking.