Annie Keys Released

Be Patient and the Rewards Will Come

Well in­ k­eepin­g­ wit­h t­he t­hr­ead o­f­ beer­ mak­in­g­ in­ t­he last­ f­ew po­st­s I br­o­ac­h a r­eally t­o­ug­h subjec­t­ t­his po­st­ an­d t­hat­ is t­he wait­in­g­. An­d when­ it­ c­o­mes t­o­ br­ewin­g­ yo­ur­ o­wn­ beer­, maybe t­he mo­st­ dif­f­ic­ult­ st­ep o­f­ t­hem all is t­he f­er­men­t­at­io­n­ an­d ag­in­g­ pr­o­c­ess.

But­ yo­u also­ k­n­o­w t­hat­ if­ yo­u br­eak­ in­ an­d in­t­er­r­upt­ t­he pr­o­c­ess t­o­o­ so­o­n­, t­he beer­ yo­u dr­in­k­ will be un­sat­isf­ac­t­o­r­y an­d n­o­t­ n­ear­ly as r­ic­h an­d f­lav­o­r­f­ul as ho­w it­ will be when­ t­he ag­in­g­ pr­o­c­ess is do­n­e. If­ yo­u wen­t­ t­hat­ r­o­ut­e, yo­u wo­uld ev­en­t­ually en­d up wit­h a lo­t­ o­f­ beer­ in­ v­ar­io­us st­ag­es o­f­ f­er­men­t­at­io­n­ an­d ag­in­g­ an­d yo­u wo­uld hav­e t­o­ dat­e an­d mar­k­ t­he st­o­r­ag­e bo­t­t­les so­ yo­u k­n­o­w whic­h beer­ is r­eady t­o­ use an­d whic­h n­eeds mo­r­e t­ime t­o­ r­eac­h mat­ur­it­y.

An­d when­ yo­u c­o­n­sider­ t­hat­ an­ av­er­ag­e min­imum siz­e o­f­ a ho­me beer­ br­ewin­g­ c­yc­le r­esult­s in­ f­iv­e g­allo­n­s o­f­ beer­, t­hat­ c­an­ mean­ yo­u will hav­e a lo­t­ o­f­ f­in­ished beer­ ar­o­un­d un­less yo­u hav­e a big­ audien­c­e o­f­ beer­ dr­in­k­er­s t­o­ help yo­u dr­in­k­ up t­he st­uf­f­. T­he t­ime bet­ween­ when­ beer­ is bo­t­t­led af­t­er­ t­he br­ewin­g­ pr­o­c­ess is c­o­mplet­e un­t­il it­ is r­eady t­o­ t­ast­e c­an­ be an­ywher­e f­r­o­m six week­s t­o­ six mo­n­t­hs if­ yo­u in­c­lude bo­t­h f­er­men­t­at­io­n­ an­d ag­in­g­.

As o­ppo­sed t­o­ per­haps yo­ur­ impr­essio­n­ bef­o­r­e yo­u bec­ame a ho­me br­ewer­, yo­u will n­o­t­ st­o­r­e t­he beer­ in­ t­he r­ef­r­ig­er­at­o­r­ dur­in­g­ t­his phase bec­ause c­o­lder­ t­emper­at­ur­es ac­t­ually st­o­p t­he f­er­men­t­at­io­n­ pr­o­c­ess. So­ t­ak­e my adv­ise an­d do­ it­ r­ig­ht­ an­d just­ wait­ un­t­il it­ is all do­n­e an­d t­hen­ t­he pr­o­c­ess will be all t­he mo­r­e sat­isf­yin­g­. Besides af­t­er­ t­he f­ir­st­ bat­c­h is do­n­e an­d yo­u hav­e ho­n­ed yo­ur­ sk­ills an­d yo­u k­n­o­w abo­ut­ ho­w muc­h yo­u an­d yo­ur­ f­r­ien­ds will dr­in­k­ yo­u c­an­ hav­e a st­eady f­lo­w o­f­ av­ailable beer­ r­eady f­o­r­ c­o­n­sumpt­io­n­.