Can Conditioning be Stopped????
Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:36 am
The simple question is....can the conditioning/aging phase in a bottle be stopped or slowed to preserve the flavor and aroma???
Here's the details. After I bottle carb for 3 weeks, I put about 6 to 8 beers in the fridge to cool. And try to always have that many in the fridge at any given time. So as I drink a couple, I'll replace a couple from the bottles that are in storage in the basement. Temps in the basement range from the low 60's in the winter to the high 60's in the summer.
I bottled my Fruit Salad Session IPA on December 21, 2014. I opened the first bottle 3 weeks later on 1/11/15. At that point, the aroma and flavor were really good. I opened the second bottle about a week later and would say that it was a little better than the first. I would say that it was in it's prime at this point. And probably stayed there until late February. Then, at the beginning of March, I noticed that it was losing it's hop flavor and aroma. It was now more like a pale ale than an IPA. I had one last night and could really tell it was losing it's IPA goodness. It has changed drastically from the beginning of March to the end of March. I have 6 bottles left and all of them are in the fridge.
So, back to the question. Can the conditioning/aging process be stopped or slowed by putting all the bottles in the refrigerator when I think it's at it's prime? Will the cold temperatures preserve the hop aroma and flavor for a longer time than leaving the bottles at basement temp?
Looking forward to hearing your opinions.
Here's the details. After I bottle carb for 3 weeks, I put about 6 to 8 beers in the fridge to cool. And try to always have that many in the fridge at any given time. So as I drink a couple, I'll replace a couple from the bottles that are in storage in the basement. Temps in the basement range from the low 60's in the winter to the high 60's in the summer.
I bottled my Fruit Salad Session IPA on December 21, 2014. I opened the first bottle 3 weeks later on 1/11/15. At that point, the aroma and flavor were really good. I opened the second bottle about a week later and would say that it was a little better than the first. I would say that it was in it's prime at this point. And probably stayed there until late February. Then, at the beginning of March, I noticed that it was losing it's hop flavor and aroma. It was now more like a pale ale than an IPA. I had one last night and could really tell it was losing it's IPA goodness. It has changed drastically from the beginning of March to the end of March. I have 6 bottles left and all of them are in the fridge.
So, back to the question. Can the conditioning/aging process be stopped or slowed by putting all the bottles in the refrigerator when I think it's at it's prime? Will the cold temperatures preserve the hop aroma and flavor for a longer time than leaving the bottles at basement temp?
Looking forward to hearing your opinions.