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To: Red_Devil 232
I did a few Belgian brews when I first started out. They did not turn out well, at least to me. They may have needed more bottle aging than I gave them.

High gravity brews really do need a considerable aging time to get the flavors right. When first starting out I was following the old Mr. Beer formula of one week fermentation, one week aging, bottling and drinking after a week or two. I was so impatient to sample the final product that sometimes I could hardly wait that long. These days I generally let everything go at least a month in the bottle before attempting to drink it. Even at that, I've had ales and lagers that I wanted to throw out, but resisted the temptation and let them sit a few months, at the end of which time they were excellent. For the heavier Belgians you probably need at least three months, and six wouldn't hurt. I'm starting my Belgians now, and hope to have them ready for Christmas.

40 posted on 07/28/2012 6:09:53 PM PDT by Mr Ramsbotham (Laws against sodomy are honored in the breech.)
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To: Mr Ramsbotham

Yeah I rushed my Belgians and tried them way to early. It is hard for a newby to resist sampling a few which eventually eventually consumes the stash before their prime!


41 posted on 07/28/2012 9:15:59 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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