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Johnwongfat

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I just got my 4 kegs in from ebay as well as my freezer today! Unfortunately I have no co2 yet, and won't for a week or two. Are there any problems with aging my beer in the kegs? I'd rather just let it sit in the kegs than bottle it since it will end up being ready at about the same time anyways. Are there any advantages or dangers to storing it cold until my co2 arrives? I am just too damn excited to let my kegs sit here empty and useless, I want to use them for something. :)
 
Johnwongfat said:
I just got my 4 kegs in from ebay as well as my freezer today! Unfortunately I have no co2 yet, and won't for a week or two. Are there any problems with aging my beer in the kegs? I'd rather just let it sit in the kegs than bottle it since it will end up being ready at about the same time anyways. Are there any advantages or dangers to storing it cold until my co2 arrives? I am just too damn excited to let my kegs sit here empty and useless, I want to use them for something. :)
Click to expand...


No its not a problem, but I would prime the keg like you would prime before bottling just to build up pressure inside the keg to create a good seal and keep a layer of natural co2 gas on top of your beer so no oxidation occurs. Allot of people including myslef prime there kegs as well as put co2 to it. I know what it feels like to get something new and wanting to use it so I give you the thumbs up, keg away
 
I wouldn't screw with it until you get your CO2 tanks. By naturally priming a keg you may not get a good seal on the keg and then your beer will oxidize. Relax, have a home brew, and wait for your CO2.
 
if it were me, i'd wait until the co2 arrives. it will take some time for that natural co2 to develope in the keg and if you don't have a good seal, it will just leak right out as it produces. it's always a good idea to "pop" some co2 into a keg to help seat the lid on it, even when carbonating w/ priming sugar. that way it is set good, and none of the natural co2 will get out while carbonating.

it's tuff waiting when new toys come in, but i'd try to wait.
 
cowain said:
I wouldn't screw with it until you get your CO2 tanks. By naturally priming a keg you may not get a good seal on the keg and then your beer will oxidize. Relax, have a home brew, and wait for your CO2.
Click to expand...

Ive been doing it going on 4 years with no issues. What do you base your answer off of? Have you had issues with oxidation in the keg?
 
i have. i primed a batch because i was sending 4 bottles in for a competition, and just racked the rest into the keg to carb over two-three weeks. it never carb'd because it all leaked out from a bad seal. i ended up re-carbing via forced method and was stuck with a so-so bacth because of it. i'll never do it again.
 
Ahhhhh Hell, Just Pop A Straw In The Fermenter And Start Drinking!!!:d
 
I'll second the "wait for the co2" advice. Not to say natural carbing doesn't work, but I'd worry about leaks. Without a co2 tank hooked up there isn't really any way to tell. And, yes, I am paranoid about such things :D
 
Umm definately wait for your CO2.
I tried to prime my hard cider a month ago, and I pressure tested the kegs before hand to make sure they were sealing.

Came back to them last week, and pulled on the release valve a bit to see if I had pressure - NADA!!!!

hooked up the CO2 and it just leaked out the big o-ring.

From now - force carbonation is the only way to go for me.

kilroy
 
usmcruz said:
Ive been doing it going on 4 years with no issues. What do you base your answer off of? Have you had issues with oxidation in the keg?
Click to expand...

No, because I've never tried it that way. However, when I first got all my kegging equipment, it took some working to get the top to seal properly even using forced CO2. Used kegs can have some quirks. Because of that, I decided to not screw with natural priming since I can get my 10 lb CO2 tank filled for $10.
 

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