Doesn't make sense

So I have a beer that I make quite often, but my last batch has me stumped. If I open a beer that has not been put in the fridge, and pour it into a glass, it looks and tastes just perfect. If I take and put some of the same beer in the fridge and cool it down to like 38 or so, it has no head and tastes a little flat. Does this make any sense to anyone??

I'm guessing that it is due to the higher solubility of CO2 in cold beer. i'd bet that you are a little light on carbonation with this batch and you only really notice it when it is poured cold.

I'm guessing you bottle conditioned? How long has it been since you bottled? you may have to wait a little longer or you might have used put enough priming sugar

jsmcclure said:

i'm guessing that it is due to the higher solubility of co2 in cold beer. I'd bet that you are a little light on carbonation with this batch and you only really notice it when it is poured cold.

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+1

yeah you might be right with the sugar. maybe I will just let it sit a little longer. it's been 2 weeks though, and normally everything is good to go by then. Looks like it is time to start kegging.

When I bottle my brews, it can take up to 3 weeks to get a full carb on the beer. If you are keeping the bottles at a colder temp it can slow things down and take longer. Give it a little more time.
I've just started kegging and have never been happier. Kegging has its own set of challenges but it is well worth it. As long as you force carb correctly and dont airate while racking you are good to go. If you want to get into kegging, start looking for cheap corney kegs. The pin-locks are a little cheaper (there are more out there) but most go with ball locks...cough cough supply and demand.

drewmedic23 said:

The pin-locks are a little cheaper (there are more out there) but most go with ball locks...cough cough supply and demand.

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There's two main reasons for this...

The first is that ball-lock kegs have separate pressure relief valves. Pin-locks do not.

The second is that they are taller but have a smaller diameter than pin-locks, which means a smaller footprint. In a kegerator or fridge, there's usually more than enough vertical space, but it can mean the ability to fit an extra keg in there. Keezers are also usually tall enough unless one wants to fit them on the compressor hump too, which would require a collar either way, and thus can easily be designed with a taller collar to accommodate ball-locks. So even with keezers, the smaller footprint means more kegs are able to fit inside. And more kegs fitting inside makes it possible to have more beers available on tap at any given moment.

Once you fill a keg, and fill it with co2 do you need to keep it cold? I would like to get 4 or 5 of them to fill. My kegerator should fit at least 3. Or do you have to put co2 on it at all? I brew a lot of beer maybe 20 or so gallons a week, and would really like to start kegging.

i'd say yes to the CO2. You don't want any oxygen in there. Put enough pressure on it for the temperature you will hold them (room temp will require higher pressure than chilled). i've had kegs carbonated at room temp for months without noticeable ill effects. 20 gallons a week.......wow, tip o the hat!

No, you do not need to keep it cold. Actually, if I have an excess of kegged beer, I will naturally carbonate in the keg before I put it on tap. Personally, I like natural carbonation better than forced CO2. YMMV.

jsmcclure said:

20 gallons a week.......wow, tip o the hat!

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lol yeah and just starting to keg too? Brutal

Yeah, I know that is a lot of beer. I give a lot away to friends and family. They throw me a couple of bucks for grain and stuff, but I just love to do it. Thinking of starting up a brew pub sometime. NY state just passed a law that helps out the craft brewer as long as they buy some of their materials from NY state. They drop the yearly license fee and taxes on barrels of beer. The area that I live in (finger lakes region) used to be the top hop growing location in the US back in the day, now it is coming back strong as ever.