Beer question

[Adeptus_Minor]

I picked up a 4-pack of Samuel Adams 'Double Bock' this morning.
It's a very rich beer with a deep malty flavor.

My question is this...
The label says 'Enjoy this beer now or age it to develop rich and unique flavors.'
So have any of you done this, and if so, how would you age it?
Do you buy it warm and age it warm, or buy it cold and keep it refrigerated?
The pack I bought was already chilled so I'll probably just drink it as-is.
However, I'd like to try aging a pack just to see how it shapes up after a month or two.

[marko138]

I picked up a 4-pack of Samuel Adams 'Double Bock' this morning.


I can't help you out with your question but I did want to point out that you cannot drink all day if you do not start in the morning. :cheers:

[Rider]

If you keep it cold it will age slower. Caution though, if you let it age too long it will turn to vinegar. I drink all beer as soon as I buy it, I never let it age.

[t-homo]

I know when you brew your own you are supposed to let it age in a cool basement, etc.

[Adeptus_Minor]

I can't help you out with your question but I did want to point out that you cannot drink all day if you do not start in the morning. :cheers:

I work nights, therefore I am technically drinking in what is my evening. :wink:

[Rider]

I know when you brew your own you are supposed to let it age in a cool basement, etc.

That's mostly to let the carbonation build up. The flavor changes a little but if you have a co2 system you can drink beer immediately and it won't taste any different.

[marko138]

I work nights, therefore I am technically drinking in what is my evening. :wink:
I've been there.

[Adeptus_Minor]

If you keep it cold it will age slower. Caution though, if you let it age too long it will turn to vinegar. I drink all beer as soon as I buy it, I never let it age.

Well, this is a 9.5% ale so it should be able to age better than most lesser % beers, but I know what you mean.

[askmrjesus]

It depends on the type of beer.

Lagers and Pilsners need to age cold, (the process of cold aging is actually called "Lagering"). Some European Lagers send as much as 9 months in a Lagering cellar.

Ales, and especially IPA's, are best consumed fresh, because the Hop aroma dies off with prolonged aging.

JC

[Adeptus_Minor]

It depends on the type of beer.

Lagers and Pilsners need to age cold, (the process of cold aging is actually called "Lagering"). Some European Lagers send as much as 9 months in a Lagering cellar.

Ales, and especially IPA's, are best consumed fresh, because the Hop aroma dies off with prolonged aging.

JC

Ok, there's the answer I was looking for. :dthumb:
I think it will cold age, then. It's sold as an "ale" in Texas because of the alcohol percentage.
However, the brewer's description clearly states "lager".

http://www.samueladams.com/imperialseries/doublebock.html

[Rider]

Ok, there's the answer I was looking for. :dthumb:
I think it will cold age, then. It's sold as an "ale" in Texas because of the alcohol percentage.
However, the brewer's description clearly states "lager".

http://www.samueladams.com/imperialseries/doublebock.html

Yes a Bock is a dark lager and in this case a double bock being higher in alcohol content. It should have already been aged by the time you bought it. Drink one now an another in 3 months and let us know how it turns out. I'm curious myself since I've never aged a beer other than aging a homebrew.

[Lucky3623]

Sam Adams probably tastes better when it is stale, flat, and old. Can't taste much worse...

[marko138]

Sam Adams probably tastes better when it is stale, flat, and old. Can't taste much worse...
Blasphemy.

[Adeptus_Minor]

Sam Adams probably tastes better when it is stale, flat, and old. Can't taste much worse...

Hey, they can't all be Natty Light, my friend. :rolleyes:

[Rider]

Sam Adams probably tastes better when it is stale, flat, and old. Can't taste much worse...

What? for a mass produced beer it's pretty good. What do you call good beer? Budweiser? Now yes there are much better beers than SA but for a beer that is made is the volume that SA is, it's top notch. YOu can find it ANYWHERE and is priced decently.

[t-homo]

You guys will be proud. I like good beer now.

[marko138]

You guys will be proud. I like good beer now.
Stepping up to Busch is not good beer, my friend.

[askmrjesus]

Yes a Bock is a dark lager and in this case a double bock being higher in alcohol content. It should have already been aged by the time you bought it. Drink one now an another in 3 months and let us know how it turns out. I'm curious myself since I've never aged a beer other than aging a homebrew.

I'm kind of curious myself.

Lagering is usually done before the beer is bottled. I believe that Sam Adams is filtered before bottling, so a majority of the yeast that contributes to flavor development is no longer there. I would suspect that any improvement in the beer would be minimal, but I look forward to hearing the jury's verdict. :beer:

JC

[t-homo]

Stepping up to Busch is not good beer, my friend.

I've been drinking Pacifico, Newcastle Brown Ale, etc. lately. Coors light is the very minimum anymore. I guess I did have one night recently of bad beer. It was called "Beer thirty". Thirty pack for 12 bucks. Talk about shitty.

[Rider]

I've been drinking Pacifico, Newcastle Brown Ale, etc. lately. Coors light is the very minimum anymore. I guess I did have one night recently of bad beer. It was called "Beer thirty". Thirty pack for 12 bucks. Talk about shitty.

Good beer is $12/6 pack. Pacifico is ok for a mexican beer but you should try some Negra Modelo. It is also a dark lager and made by the same company that makes Corona and Pacifico.

[BobTheBiker]

I've been wondering about that negra modelo stuff. I prefer yuengling's lager over it though. Maybe sooner or later I'll get a 6 pack and see how it is.

[Homeslice]

Most beer, especially imported beer, has already been sitting in the distribution system for several months after manufacture, so I doubt aging it another month is going to make a difference

[Lucky3623]

What? for a mass produced beer it's pretty good. What do you call good beer? Budweiser? Now yes there are much better beers than SA but for a beer that is made is the volume that SA is, it's top notch. YOu can find it ANYWHERE and is priced decently.


Even in TX.... SA is considered an import. The thousands of pounds of hops they rape into one beer is disgusting.

Good Beer:

Grolsh
Widmer
Pete's Wicked Bastard Ale
Heinekin/Red Stripe
Negro Modelo
Kirin
Sapporro
Newcastle
Lebbatt's Blue
Pyramid Hefeweizen
Guinness
Even Shiner is better

and probably a few dozen more.


I've been wondering about that negra modelo stuff. I prefer yuengling's lager over it though. Maybe sooner or later I'll get a 6 pack and see how it is.

Negro Modelo is good. I had a just bought a 6er this weekend.

[Rider]

Even in TX.... SA is considered an import. The thousands of pounds of hops they rape into one beer is disgusting.

Good Beer:

Grolsh
Widmer
Pete's Wicked Bastard Ale
Heinekin/Red Stripe
Negro Modelo
Kirin
Sapporro
Newcastle
Lebbatt's Blue
Pyramid Hefeweizen
Guinness
Even Shiner is better

and probably a few dozen more.




You can't put enough hops in beer. And BTW most of those beers listed use a lot of rice or corn instead of barley which equates to fermentable filler with no flavor. Beer only need 4 ingredients to be beer. Water, hops, barley and yeast. Anything else is fluff.

America really fucked up beer during prohibition. Since ingredients where hard to come by they started taking out hops and adding fillers like corn and rice. Now America is snowed into believing that Miller, Coors Budweiser and other weaksauce beers like them are good beers. If you want to enjoy a good beer the way it was meant to be enjoyed spend more than $3.00 on a 6 pack.

Now do I sound like a beer snob? Absolutely, but that doesn't mean I won't drink it if it is free, I am after all a beer whore. But if I'm laying my hard eared cash down, it's going to be good beer.

Oh an not everything you you listed is crap but I do have a hatred of all wheat beers. They taste like envelope glue to me.

[tommymac]

You can't put enough hops in beer. And BTW most of those beers listed use a lot of rice or corn instead of barley which equates to fermentable filler with no flavor. Beer only need 4 ingredients to be beer. Water, hops, barley and yeast. Anything else is fluff.

America really fucked up beer during prohibition. Since ingredients where hard to come by they started taking out hops and adding fillers like corn and rice. Now America is snowed into believing that Miller, Coors Budweiser and other weaksauce beers like them are good beers. If you want to enjoy a good beer the way it was meant to be enjoyed spend more than $3.00 on a 6 pack.

Now do I sound like a beer snob? Absolutely, but that doesn't mean I won't drink it if it is free, I am after all a beer whore. But if I'm laying my hard eared cash down, it's going to be good beer.

Oh an not everything you you listed is crap but I do have a hatred of all wheat beers. They taste like envelope glue to me.

I am the same way on wheat beers, not a big fan of them esp the real german heffeweizens. Now give me a good doppelbock or swartzbier and alls good.

Tom

[askmrjesus]

You can't put enough hops in beer.

I would have to disagree with that.

The idea is to balance the hops and the barley. More hops than needed to do this, does not = better beer.

Adding a shit ton of hops to a Kolsch, for example, would just fuck it up beyond all recognition.

JC

[tommymac]

I would have to disagree with that.

The idea is to balance the hops and the barley. More hops than needed to do this, does not = better beer.

Adding a shit ton of hops to a Kolsch, for example, would just fuck it up beyond all recognition.

JC

Or it would make a killer ESB :lol:

Tom

[askmrjesus]

Or it would make a killer ESB :lol:

Tom

No, it would make the beer equivalent of bong water. :lol:

JC

[tommymac]

No, it would make the beer equivalent of bong water. :lol:

JC

:lol: I do remember seeing a sirea nevade clone recipe that called for a shitload of hopps, but that was also for a desired result since their stuff is so hoppy.

Tom

[askmrjesus]

:lol: I do remember seeing a sirea nevade clone recipe that called for a shitload of hopps, but that was also for a desired result since their stuff is so hoppy.

Tom

That makes sense, as Sierra Nevada has a pretty healthy grain bill, and calls for a high alpha content.

JC

[VatorMan]

Speaking of IPA's.

My new favorite. I like this better than DFH 120 min. If you like a hoppy IPA-this will blow your mind.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beerimages/full_size/44485.jpg

[Particle Man]

No, it would make the beer equivalent of bong water. :lol:

JC

:lol:

[askmrjesus]

Speaking of IPA's.

My new favorite. I like this better than DFH 120 min. If you like a hoppy IPA-this will blow your mind.


110 IBU?

Damn skippy! :lol:

JC

[Homeslice]

You want hops, try a Pilsner Urquell (that Czech shit). Skunky as hell.

[askmrjesus]

You want hops, try a Pilsner Urquell (that Czech shit). Skunky as hell.

Pilsner Urquell uses Saaz hops, which have great aroma, but very low alpha (bitterness). Not really what I would call a hoppy beer.

JC

[Homeslice]

Pilsner Urquell uses Saaz hops, which have great aroma, but very low alpha (bitterness). Not really what I would call a hoppy beer.

JC

Hmm, well it's one of the most bitter beers I've ever tasted. :?:

[101lifts2]

I didn't realize AMJ is a beer guru...

I'll take a bud light...I'm not picky.

[Adeptus_Minor]

I didn't realize AMJ is a beer guru...

Since he started homebrewing, he's apparently done a lot of reading and a decent bit of practical experimentation.
His was actually the opinion I was looking for, but I know he's not the only aficionado here so I posted it in the open forums.

As for the Sam Adams haters and indiscriminate beer drinkers... :idk:
Drink what you like, like what you drink. :beer:

[Smittie61984]

Funnel the bitch!

[askmrjesus]

I didn't realize AMJ is a beer guru...

I'm not.

I've only been making my own beer for the last three years, so at best, I consider myself a novice.

For me, brewing the "perfect" beer, is much like building the perfect bike, a combination of art and science.

The cool part is, If I fail on either score, it will still be better than Bud Light. :lol:

JC

[tommymac]

Hmm, well it's one of the most bitter beers I've ever tasted. :?:

You should have a siera nevada pale ale that will blow your mind as far as bitter beers go :rockwoot:

Tom

[marko138]

Speaking of IPA's.

My new favorite. I like this better than DFH 120 min. If you like a hoppy IPA-this will blow your mind.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beerimages/full_size/44485.jpg

I'm gonna have to look into this shit.

[Rider]

110 IBU?

Damn skippy! :lol:

JC

Life begins at 65......IBU's that is.


Victory Hop Devil is great, Three Floyds Alpha King is another, Diamond Knot IPA is also delish. I have a recipe for a great IPA that uses brown sugar to crank up the alcohol content. It also uses 3 different types of hops during the brewing process and then a 4th for dry hopping.

[Adeptus_Minor]

IPA's have never really called to me, but you guys are making them sound good. :lol:
Perhaps I'll be going back to Spec's sooner than I thought.

[askmrjesus]

IPA's have never really called to me, but you guys are making them sound good. :lol:
Perhaps I'll be going back to Spec's sooner than I thought.

IPA's are definitively an acquired taste. Good ones can be fantastic, but bad ones taste like hay with goat piss on it.

JC

[Adeptus_Minor]

IPA's are definitively an acquired taste. Good ones can be fantastic, but bad ones taste like hay with goat piss on it.

JC

Meh, I'll still give them a look. There are so many of them to choose from.
And I don't mind bitter, provided the beer is supposed to be bitter. :wink:

[Adeptus_Minor]

You should have a siera nevada pale ale that will blow your mind as far as bitter beers go :rockwoot:

Tom

I picked up a six of their Torpedo Extra IPA.
Wow... bitter... but the flavors are pretty impressive.
The bitter doesn't really kick in until the aftertaste, but the initial flavor is bright and citrusy, like grapefruit rind. :dthumb:

[Rider]

I picked up a six of their Torpedo Extra IPA.
Wow... bitter... but the flavors are pretty impressive.
The bitter doesn't really kick in until the aftertaste, but the initial flavor is bright and citrusy, like grapefruit rind. :dthumb:

Sounds good, I'll have to look for it. SNAPLE(Sierra Nevada Pale Ale) is one of my favorites.

[Adeptus_Minor]

They had a couple of the Dogfish IPA's... I forget which ones.. 60 and 120 or 90 and 120?

Are those any good?

*eta it was 60 and 90... don't think we get the 120 around here

[Rider]

They had a couple of the Dogfish IPA's... I forget which ones.. 60 and 120 or 90 and 120?

Are those any good?

*eta it was 60 and 90... don't think we get the 120 around here

I've had the 60 but not the 90 or 120. I've seen the 90, but the 120 is seldom carried in the stores here. The 60 is real good, so I'm guessing the 90 would be the same but with a little more hops and a little more alcohol.

[Particle Man]

I find it hard to age beer. It's beer - it deserves to be consumed.

It's a rule of nature.

[Adeptus_Minor]

Ok, the 60 is on the list after I finish the Torpedo.

[Adeptus_Minor]

I find it hard to age beer. It's beer - it deserves to be consumed.

It's a rule of nature.

Hah! Nice attempt to get back to the original topic.
I also picked up another pack of the Double Bock and put it in the garage fridge.
Now I'll just forget about it for a month and see what I get. :dthumb: