Changes

While determining if the final gravity is stable is the most important factor when choosing when to package mixed fermentation beer, there are also different approaches to choosing when to package beer based on the flavor maturity of the beer. For [[Mixed Fermentation]] beers that contain ''Brettanomyces'' and lactic acid bacteria, months are often required for the beer to reach an optimal or even just acceptable flavor profile. This depends on many variables such as is the beer aging in an oak [[Barrel]], what microbes are pitched (for example, ''Pediococcus'' and slower species of ''Lactobacillus'' such as ''L. delbruekii'' tend to need a few months to develop acidity), what flavors the brewer is looking for, etc. If the gravity is stable, some brewers prefer the option of packaging the beer before the flavor is optimal and allowing the flavor to continue to develop in the bottle/keg. This gives the advantage of being able to sample the beer at different points in time and can serve as a good technique for learning how a particular culture ages. If this approach is taken, keeping the bottles/kegs at room temperature instead of at refrigerator or cellar temperatures is advised so that the yeast and bacteria do not fall dormant. Colder temperatures will slow the maturation of the beer. Other brewers prefer to allow the maturation of flavors to happen in the fermenting vessel (especially in the case of oak barrels), and then package the beer when it tastes good. This approach is less risky as far as potentially packaging a premature beer that never fully reaches the flavor profile that the brewer finds acceptable. In other words, sometimes mixed fermentation beers never taste good, and allowing the beer to bulk age in the fermenting vessel allows the brewer to make sure the beer is worth packaging.

===Clarity and pellicles===