How do you age a brew when kegging?

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Justintoxicated

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I always see stuff like, wait 6 months for your beer to condition in bottles, or wait 6 weeks at least for best results.

But what about When you keg? I read somewhere than once you get the keg on Co2 I'ts pretty much done conditioning? If thats the case, then how do I know when it's time to keg? Do I condition in a secondary for an extended period of time instead?

For example, I just brewed a black imperial IPA, directions say to put it into a secondary and dry hop once fermentation is finished. then wait another week and then bottle and wait for 6 weeks for best results.

But I'm planning to keg it, and it's nearly done fermenting after only a week (it had a fierce fermentation where I lost about 1/4th gallon through the blow off tube and 3 1/2 gallon growler changes.

Should I leave it in the primary for an extra week then 2 weeks in the secondary and call it good? Or do I need to keg it and then wait, etc?
 
Longer time in the primary fermenter seems to mature beer just as well or better than time in the bottles. If I leave my beer in the primary for only a week (not recommended) and then bottle, it takes weeks for the beer to mature. If I leave the same kind of beer in primary for 2 weeks, the time needed in the bottles to achieve the same maturity level is reduced by more than that week. The time to mature is also related to the grains in the beer and the amount of alcohol. A nice light color session beer might be mature in 2 weeks but a dark stout takes much longer and a barleywine takes nearly forever (it seems that way).

Your Black Imperial IPA is a problem. It's a dark beer so it takes a bit longer to mature, it has higher alcoholic content so it takes longer to mature, and it is an IPA so it needs to be consumed within a reasonably short time to keep the hop flavor. I'd leave this in the fermenter for a couple months before dry hopping in that same fermenter for a week or so and then keg it.
 
You can always keg your beer, put enough pressure on it to seal the keg, and then leave it at room temperature to age. You can even carb it while it ages; you just need to use more pressure. I age my beer in kegs @ 68* and 25psi. When I am ready to drink, I chill the keg for 48 hours and it is carbed well.

For that IPA, I would age it in the keg for 3-4 weeks, then dry-hop right in the keg. Be sure to use a hop sock.
 
You can always keg your beer, put enough pressure on it to seal the keg, and then leave it at room temperature to age. You can even carb it while it ages; you just need to use more pressure. I age my beer in kegs @ 68* and 25psi. When I am ready to drink, I chill the keg for 48 hours and it is carbed well.

For that IPA, I would age it in the keg for 3-4 weeks, then dry-hop right in the keg. Be sure to use a hop sock.



That's what I'm thinking about doing with my next batch. I have a keezer project I like to start on, but it's going to be sometime before I can gather all the parts needed. I figured I can just brew another batch and instead of bottling, just move it to a keg and let it sit in my basement until I finish the keezer. I can stay more focused on my keezer and the beer can age at the same time. When I'm done with the keezer, I'll already have a keg ready to chill and tap. Win, win.
 
There is more then one way to do this with good results. I have the ability to have 6 kegs carbing at any one time. I ran out of space once and did the following with great results on my IBUtocious IPA. I left it in primary for 2 weeks then transfered to secondary and dry hopped. Left it there for a week then moved to a keg and carbed in the keg with sugar. I used 2.06 oz. of corn sugar which I boil in 4oz. of water for 15 minutes then let cool to room temp. Put sugar water in keg and rack on top. I hit the keg with 30lbs. of co2 to seat the oring then purge the co2 out of it. Leave it for 2-3 weeks and your done. I also do what LKABrewer does but both work with good results. In fact I will be doing the sugar thing today with a pale and a stout. Good luck!
 
Think of the word "conditioning" as also meaning "maturing".

Most beers under about 1.055 or so, if properly made, can be ready to drink in a relatively short period of time. A beer like a mild with an OG of 1.036 can be very drinkable in 10 days. A "bigger" beer, say a barley wine, may be best in a year.

In the middle are most other beers. Most ales, again if properly made, are really good in 3-6 weeks. There are many things that go into maturation of the beer, like complexity of the grainbill, so any timeline is dependent on the beer itself.

I have many IPAs and APAs that I'm drinking and enjoying by week 3. But I have an oatmeal stout, with an OG of 1.050 only, that just doesn't come together well until about week 5. The roastiness needs time to meld with the sweet crystal malt.

Since beer ages faster at room temperature, beers that need a little time can be stored at room temperature until they are ready. Cold storage and cellar temperatures slow down beer's aging, so for beers that are at their peak, storing them cool means they will last longer.

All that to say this- if a beer is ready, it's ready. If it has been at FG for at least several days and is starting to clear, it's ready to package. It may or may not be ready to drink, though! If the beer is an ale with a relatively low OG and a not very complex malt bill, it will probably be ready to drink. If it's got a ton of dark malts and complex flavors and things like oak, it might not be ready to drink for 6 months.

Overall, I leave most of my non-complex ales in the fermenter for 10-14 days and then keg and drink when they are carbed up. That's all the time they need. Again, it does depend on the beer. I hope that helps a little!
 
I have to agree with all Yooper said.

I have been legging for five years and have not found a lot of info on aging\maturing in a keg. I have learned by trial and error.

My standard practice is as follows:

My fermentation time in glass is determined by the type of beer, although most sit on the yeast for at least three weeks (me being lazy).
I CO2 transfer from glass to a clean sanitized CO2 filled corny at 4psi.
After the corny lid is seated and sealed I put it straight in the kegerator and pressurize to the style and carbonation level desired.
I then taste it each day,curiosity. The taste changes significantly while the CO2 level rises. After about a week the taste will stabilize to the desired CO2 level. If the beer does not seem ready (i.e. diacetyl or fusel alcohol notes, etc.) then I pull it off CO2 and put it in my chest freezer at fermentation temp to age for at least three weeks. In my limited experience, yeast will still be available and active if I keep the carbonation pressure below 20psi. I think this is supported by the Yeast book.

This keg aging has been totally experimental and as always to what I like to drink and share with friends.

Hope this helps.
 
I read somewhere than once you get the keg on Co2 I'ts pretty much done conditioning?

No, but you can follow exactly the same timing as for bottling. If you chose to take a longer time in the fermenter and force carbonate the keg, you still need to give the beer 4-5 days to adjust to the change in pH.
 
The directions for this black IPA say 5-6 days in primary then rack to secondary for 5-6 days with the dry hops. (From Austin Home Brew). Fermented crazy fast and violently. Spilled out of my 1/2 gallon growler and into the fermentation chamber twice!

I don't think I want wait another month before I drink my beer, I just finished my first keg last weekend. I need to at least move to a secondary to free up my primary so I can start brewing something else.

I'm doing a batch of apfelwein too so between the 2 large carboys there is no space left to do anything else.

When you say I can leave to age in the secondary (or in the keg I would imagine) at room temp, what temperature range is that? My room temp right now is 83-90.

This black IPA had a final gravity of 1.078. I'm thinking to leave it in the primary for another week, then transfer to a secondary and dry hop for a week and then keg? And then carb the keg and start sampling?

I'm starting to think I should look into buying more corney kegs to use for secondaries? I can fit 4 of those in my fermentation chamber / freezer, but only 2 glass carboys. I have 2 chest freezers, one for cooling the kegs and one for fermenting, and I'm already feeling the constraints, and its only my second batch of beer :( I do have botteling gear I picked up as well but have yet to use. but since sealing the keg and aging that was is basically the same thing I'm not seeing any advantage to that then.
 
The yeast has a fermentation temp range. Different temps in the range produce different tastes. Temp control on fermentation can be important. You can find the yeast on the manufacturer's website.
 
The yeast has a fermentation temp range. Different temps in the range produce different tastes. Temp control on fermentation can be important. You can find the yeast on the manufacturer's website.

Are you suggesting I need to keep it in the fermentation range even after fermentation while conditioning?
 
I usually keep it in the primary for a week or so then transfer it to the keg (secondary) keep it a fermentation temp let it finish clearing up and carb naturally. After a week or 2, move it to the fridge for drinkin'

Once your friends and neighbors find out you're brewing. Pipeline management becomes a major concern. You'll need to brew once a week.

So, move your primary over to the keg then throw a fresh batch of wort on the yeast cake.

If each step takes a week it works out perfect.

1 week primary
1 week keg secondary
1 week drink keg

But this isn't really working out for me. I need to scale up or slow down :D
 
I would say leave it in primary for another week, then rack it to a keg and dry hop it. Get it carbing up while it dry hops, then check it in another two weeks, if it's not ready let it sit longer. The good thing about Dry Hopping cold in the keg, is you can leave the hops in the beer for quite some time. That's been my experience anyway.
:mug:
 
I would say leave it in primary for another week, then rack it to a keg and dry hop it. Get it carbing up while it dry hops, then check it in another two weeks, if it's not ready let it sit longer. The good thing about Dry Hopping cold in the keg, is you can leave the hops in the beer for quite some time. That's been my experience anyway.
:mug:

I thought you didn't want to get the hops in the keg, so you would dry hop in a secondary carboy, then after they settle the the bottom rack out the clean beer into the keg?

If I dry hop with pellets right into the keg, won't they pour out into your beer glass?
 
I thought you didn't want to get the hops in the keg, so you would dry hop in a secondary carboy, then after they settle the the bottom rack out the clean beer into the keg?

If I dry hop with pellets right into the keg, won't they pour out into your beer glass?

Well, yes. So you can put them in a sanitized hop bag, and drop them in the keg.

For leaf hops (not pellets), I like those stainless tea balls. A large one will hold 1/2 ounce of hops.

You don't want to pack hops in a bag, you want them as loose as possible, so sometimes I'll use two bags if I"m dryhopping quite a bit in the keg.
 
I don't know maybe it's just my taste buds, but I have been so spoiled ever since I started kegging my beer several years ago. It seems I really like the freshness and taste that kegging and drinking my beer a few days after it gets chilled and carbed brings. I drink my brews usually within two weeks or so. After two weeks the flavor evolves and changes and I guess I am spoiled but I prefer the fresher taste the first two weeks seems to have. Now the taste after two weeks is not bad by any means, but I can tell the difference. Does anyone else know what I mean?

Time for another brew!
 
So really its best to dry hop with leafed hops and not pellets?


Lastly I don't keg, but aging is aging if its in a keg or bottle. At least that's what's being said. Yet doesn't bulk aging go faster than bottle aging?

I know carbing by co2 shortens the wait by a few days, but does nothing to speed up conditioning. If you prime and bottle wouldn't you have to wait for the yeast to Carb the beer and then the conditioning starts since the sugar creates a small addition to the profile that needs to meld?
 
So really its best to dry hop with leafed hops and not pellets?


Lastly I don't keg, but aging is aging if its in a keg or bottle. At least that's what's being said. Yet doesn't bulk aging go faster than bottle aging?

I know carbing by co2 shortens the wait by a few days, but does nothing to speed up conditioning. If you prime and bottle wouldn't you have to wait for the yeast to Carb the beer and then the conditioning starts since the sugar creates a small addition to the profile that needs to meld?

No you can dry hop with pellet hops as well. I have no real preference, as I just take whatever is available.

Actually, bulk aging is slower than bottle aging. I'm a winemaker, and aging in carboys is slower than in separate bottles, but it's preferable for many because for wine, a slow and steady aging is best

Conditioning is conditioning, no matter if it's in a bottle or a keg. It's temperature dependent, of course, as beer ages faster at room temperature than cellar temperatures or fridge temperatures.
 
Ok, so i guess once its kegged and chilled if it tasts bad, just move it back to the fermentation chamber?

I was planning to transfer it to a secondary glass carboy next weekend and dry hop there, then rack into the keg.

This is only my second batch but that is what I did for the first one and there was still a significant layer of yeast etc in the bottom of the secondary after another week, although there was no more air lock activity, and I had already reached final gravity. When I emptied the keg, there was no sediment at the bottom, although maybe that's why the last couple glasses had an off flavor to me? My Friend said it was still damn good, although I felt the beer was better fresh. Seems liek transfering to a secondary would allow the beer to clear more before transfering it into the keg?

If I do go the secondary route, and add the dry hops in a hop bag, wouldn't this allow me to remove any residuals before racking to the keg? or is it still better to dry hop in the keg?
 
Justin
I am saying that when you cool it down yeast activity slows. When you heat it up (your fermentor), the activity increases. The yeast has a specific range of temp that it has been tested to provide the desired taste. Too warm ferments too fast and produces diacetyl and fuselage alcohol with fruity characters in some yeasts. Too cold and the yeast doesn't convert enough of the sugar to alcohol leaving you with low alcohol sweet beer.

I have done the too fast or too high temp when I started brewing. I have also done the too low. The high one Plugged the blow off tube and sprayed the ceiling in my bathroom.

The beer will continue to condition from the yeast that are still in your beer until the day you drink it.

It sounds like you fermented warm. I would consider letting it condition for at least a couple of weeks to try to let the yeast clean up some of the off flavors produced by warm fermentation. Don't be surprised I the beer tastes a little off. I still drank mine and called it good, but I wanted better.

I put my fermentors in a temp controlled chest freezer. Before I could afford that I put it in a water bath using a storage tub that covered about two thirds of the glass in water. I put it in our jetted tub that no one ever uses. The water bath will keep the temp more consistent when the room temp varies during the day and night. It also will absorb some of the heat from the vigorous primary fermentation. The stuff gets warm inside.

A reference that I found very helpful is How to Brew. I started with Papazian but the book didn't seem to make it clear that the most important parts of making beer are: sanitation, temp control, and pitching rates.

A long answer I know. Hope it helps. I enjoy any beer I make.
 
jcav said:
I don't know maybe it's just my taste buds, but I have been so spoiled ever since I started kegging my beer several years ago. It seems I really like the freshness and taste that kegging and drinking my beer a few days after it gets chilled and carbed brings. I drink my brews usually within two weeks or so. After two weeks the flavor evolves and changes and I guess I am spoiled but I prefer the fresher taste the first two weeks seems to have. Now the taste after two weeks is not bad by any means, but I can tell the difference. Does anyone else know what I mean?

Time for another brew!

Yes. I agree that the beer changes through the few months that a keg sits in my fridge. I try to keep four on tap at all times and they do change over time.
 
Justin
I am saying that when you cool it down yeast activity slows. When you heat it up (your fermentor), the activity increases. The yeast has a specific range of temp that it has been tested to provide the desired taste. Too warm ferments too fast and produces diacetyl and fuselage alcohol with fruity characters in some yeasts. Too cold and the yeast doesn't convert enough of the sugar to alcohol leaving you with low alcohol sweet beer.

I have done the too fast or too high temp when I started brewing. I have also done the too low. The high one Plugged the blow off tube and sprayed the ceiling in my bathroom.

The beer will continue to condition from the yeast that are still in your beer until the day you drink it.

It sounds like you fermented warm. I would consider letting it condition for at least a couple of weeks to try to let the yeast clean up some of the off flavors produced by warm fermentation. Don't be surprised I the beer tastes a little off. I still drank mine and called it good, but I wanted better.

I put my fermentors in a temp controlled chest freezer. Before I could afford that I put it in a water bath using a storage tub that covered about two thirds of the glass in water. I put it in our jetted tub that no one ever uses. The water bath will keep the temp more consistent when the room temp varies during the day and night. It also will absorb some of the heat from the vigorous primary fermentation. The stuff gets warm inside.

A reference that I found very helpful is How to Brew. I started with Papazian but the book didn't seem to make it clear that the most important parts of making beer are: sanitation, temp control, and pitching rates.

A long answer I know. Hope it helps. I enjoy any beer I make.

The Recommended temp range for the yeast I used was 68-72, I set my chest freezer to 70 for the first night (Probe taped up against the carboy), and when it starting going crazy I turned it down to 66 or 68. I didn't want to go too cold since it was not in the recommended temp range.

http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp085.

I'm still not sure if I should bother transferring to a secondary carboy to help it clear and condition off the trub and cold break, or go directly to the keg.

What are the advantages to dry hopping and conditioning in a secondary carboy Vs Dry hopping in the keg? Sounds like it might be better to dry hop in the keg?
 
The Recommended temp range for the yeast I used was 68-72, I set my chest freezer to 70 for the first night (Probe taped up against the carboy), and when it starting going crazy I turned it down to 66 or 68. I didn't want to go too cold since it was not in the recommended temp range.

http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp085.

I'm still not sure if I should bother transferring to a secondary carboy to help it clear and condition off the trub and cold break, or go directly to the keg.

What are the advantages to dry hopping and conditioning in a secondary carboy Vs Dry hopping in the keg? Sounds like it might be better to dry hop in the keg?

I think it's 6 in one 1/2 dozen in the other. I personally no longer secondary, unless it's for space reasons, like as in, I need to get another brew done and the primaries are all full. I dryhop right in the primary, then transfer to keg. Usually it's about a month when I transfer my ales to keg, and that includes a week of dryhopping at diacetyl rest temperatures (mid 70s).

I also ferment ales low. The liquid inside of your carboy is likely a few degrees higher then your probe is reading, so it's ok to go a few degrees below the recommended range on your temp controller.

My $.02 it's probably not worth that much money though ;-)
 
I think it's 6 in one 1/2 dozen in the other. I personally no longer secondary, unless it's for space reasons, like as in, I need to get another brew done and the primaries are all full. I dryhop right in the primary, then transfer to keg. Usually it's about a month when I transfer my ales to keg, and that includes a week of dryhopping at diacetyl rest temperatures (mid 70s).

I also ferment ales low. The liquid inside of your carboy is likely a few degrees higher then your probe is reading, so it's ok to go a few degrees below the recommended range on your temp controller.

My $.02 it's probably not worth that much money though ;-)

Yea I want to get another brew going this weekend and I only have one primary. However I'm thinking about transferring to a secondary, and adding the pellet hops directly to the brew. Then I can let them sit for a week or so, then transfer to the keg to keep it from plugging up?

From my research dry hopping in the keg is the preferred approach, but seems slightly more advanced and is not recommended with pellet hops (which is what I have).

Some please chime in and let me know if using a secondary and adding the hops directly without a bag. Is a bad idea.
 
Only bad part of dry hopping w/o a bag is trying to clean out the carboy if you use glass or better bottles. It's not a big pain, but it takes more effort than secondary in a bucket/keg. I haven't kegged so I don't know how messy pellets can get if they're bagged, but the main reason not to dry hop pellets in a keg is that they breakup and end up in the beer. Either way I'd use a bag no matter what to keep as much hop material from floating in a served beer. When I dry hop it's with leaf hops as I read somewhere it's best to use leaf over plug or pellet.
 
I made a Scotch ale and added priming sugar to the keg, let it sit at room temperature for about 3 weeks then put in the keggerator. First 2 pulls should suck out the sediment. after that it was clear as can be. I have gone to a few breweries who have bottle conditioned and force carbed beers (Same batch of course) that you can taste side by side. Since the yeast is doing the carbing, it alters the flavor of the beer.
 
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