Aging Beer In A Keg

I am planning on Bottling my RIS tomorrow evening. Now that I have kegged 10 or so Batches, I REALLY AM NOT looking forward to Bottling. So, here's my question. How do you sample a Beer once it is Kegged? Is it as simple as hooking up the Gas and taking a sample? I guess you get to sample flat Beer? I plan on aging this beer for 6 months before I try a sample. I am thinking it'll be ready in about 24 months. Nice thing about a Bottle is that it would be Carbbed and ready if I only want one bottle. I wouldn't have to Force carb the shole keg to have a drink of it in it's prime. Thoughts?

Nothing wrong with carbing the keg while aging. 6 months before trying is admirable and 24 months is insane. Im sure it will get better with time, but I couldn't wait that long.

There is a thread regarding warm aging ales that discusses weather or not cold or warm aging is more beneficial. I'm not sure it was decided other than time is always of benefit.

I would say you want to carb it during ageing.
You want that layer of c02 protecting the beer from o2.
I drink a lot of brews flat, mead, cyders, I just add enough c02 to push it. You can get a good idea of the taste, just realize that the co2 will enhance it, good or bad.

You can age it carbed or non-carbed. If I was doing this, I'd probably prime the keg and let it age that way, just as if it was simply a big bottle. Taking a sample is easy- just stick the quick disconnects on them and beer line with cobra taps. I sometimes keep a keg in the basement (root cellar area) and it's not on the gas but I can go down and try it without any trouble. I bought some of those co2 chargers for this, but I haven't used it yet.

Screw the bottles. I'm kegging it.

anything wrong with bottling a couple of bottles and throwing the rest in the keg?

B

Only that it's a pain in the ass to divide up 5 ounces of sugar into 1 bottle proportions.

If you've got the carb drops, then bang on you're good to go.

carb drops either need more time or they simply don't work very well. i bottled several beers early on that way and they didn't turn out so good.

bad coffee said:

anything wrong with bottling a couple of bottles and throwing the rest in the keg?

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Or bottling from a keg. Search for BMBF

pldoolittle said:

Or bottling from a keg. Search for BMBF

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I bottle from my kegs. I have an oak aged RIS in a keg right now that I plan on doing this with. To me, it is the way to go.

Oh, and I use a Blichmann Beer gun. And I love it.

carnevoodoo said:

Oh, and I use a Blichmann Beer gun. And I love it.

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So this beer gun, I just hook it up to my keg, and I am off to the races?

I'm planning on kegging my xmas beer, priming it with sugar, charging the keg to 30PSI to set the seals, and forgetting it is in my closet until December. When it's ready to go, I'll bottle it using a BMBF.

I carbed my RIS in the keg for 4 months it is a great beer. Then I bottled the rest of it and will age it for 1 year and see how it changes

This raised some questions for me. I am planning on aging an Oktoberfest for 6 moths (while I'm deployed) and its a lager (duh), I can still age a lager in the fridge in the keg with it presured to keep the seals locked...right?

I say age your beer carbed, then you can sample anytime you feel the need.

I brewed an RIS in February. I entered it (bottled off a keg) in the NHC this spring (scored 35..meh), and had the last glass a month ago. In six months it went from young, to great, to bland. So, I think even with big beers, sample as you go, and don't assume that it'll be better at 24 months than it was at 4 months. Although, to be fair, I've never let a beer "live" longer than one year. Maybe I'm missing out.

RLinNH said:

I am thinking it'll be ready in about 24 months.

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After 24 moths that beer better turn out how Megan Fox looks.... AMAZINGGG!!!!!!

Thats will power my friend! I couldn't do it!

I usually just figure out what temp I am going to cellar at and hit it with up to 50-60 psi (depending upon temp) to seal and sit it aside. That way some of the beer will carb from that high pressure. Then when you are ready, throw it into the kegerator and put your serving pressure on it. Should be balanced and ready in a week or so.

I have a big beer that has been sitting in a keg at room temp for four months. After racking it to the keg, the yeast woke up and this batch could have carbed naturally. I didn't let it because I wanted it to age without carbing so I pulled the relief valve frequently, until the activity subsided.

It is now in the kegerator waiting for me to bottle it. When I'm ready, I'll probably bottle the way I always do, with BMBG method. The bottles will age at room temp.

I'm actually on a bit of a high gravity kick right now brewing a RIS, Mega Barley Wine (14% ABV target), and a Belgian Strong Dark which will be brewed and stored for a year in cornies in the basement. Next year I'll rack them off any sediment, add fresh yeast and priming sugar, and then beer gun them. This way I'll consistently have a steady steam of high ABV ages beers for consumption and competitions.