Barleywine kegged 5 yrs ago!!

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JOHN51277

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I brewed a nice Barleywine about 5 years ago and put it in a Cornie keg and primed it with corn sugar as I usually would for bottling. I sealed it up using the small Co2 cartridge. Well, It has been in the back of a closet for all this time.

I finally got all my kegging equipment, as I was tired of bottling. I pulled up on the pressure release valve to see if I was wasting my time, or if it was still sealed. Well..........................It has tons of pressure, and it smelled great.

It definitely has too much pressure to serve like that. Should I bleed some pressure off and put it in the fridge and hook it up to 6-7 psi and see what it is like? What is the best method to make sure I don;t ruin this if it is good?
 
Let it chill first, then put it on serving pressure, purge the excess and pour a taste. It might be perfect carb once chilled. I hope it turns out to be worth the wait. Cheers!
 
Might be over carbed, IIRC kegs take less priming than bottles. Only way to find out is to tap it & see.

P.S. Please send sample.
 
John You should just drive it up there to Georgia so I can empty that keg for you!!!!! I am sure it is quit bad and I would hate to for a fellow brewer to suffer through that all of the brew alone!!! :D

Five years dude that is awesome!!!! I have a hard time just keeping a keg full around my house.
 
The 5 years was due to making many many other batches of beer and not having a Co2 setup. Well, I will be putting this in the fridge tonight and hopefully tapping it on Tuesday when I have the day off to fully enjoy the beer. I will post an update once I try it! If it is over carbed, what can I do to degas it somewhat?
 
Bleed off all pressure in the keg, wait 2 days. Then try a pull. The gas comes out of solution but slowly.
 
I've got a keg (half barrel) of barleywine that's been sitting in my basement for at least 4 years. I was wondering if it would stay good. It's from Big Buck Brewery in Gaylord, MI. I kinda thought it would spoil after a year and since I was busy it never got tapped. You've got me wondering. It is 11%, called Old Mare. Maybe still good. If not I suppose someone could distill it.
 
Don't shake it...five years worth of settling is on the bottom...let it come to proper pressure slowly please! Then of course enjoy...make any pressure adjustments gradually and slowly...changing pressure rapidly or shaking could turn it into a milkshake.
 
Don't shake it...five years worth of settling is on the bottom...let it come to proper pressure slowly please! Then of course enjoy...make any pressure adjustments gradually and slowly...changing pressure rapidly or shaking could turn it into a milkshake.

This is in a half keg from the brewery. As far as I know the only change I can make to the pressure is when I twist on the sankey tap and start it flowing. I suppose if my pressure from my co2 tank is out of whack it could affect the pressure one way or the other. Will this somehow stir up sediment? I thought the beer was filtered at the brewery, granted it is a micro-brew. I was wrong about it being a barleywine, it is actually a Belgian Winter Ale if memory serves. Probably not much dif.

What pressure should I have my tank set to when I twist on the sankey?
 
John, what part of Florida are you in?? If nothing else if youre close, Id love to come pick your brain about the setup youre running now!
 
What pressure should I have my tank set to when I twist on the sankey?


Twist the sankey on w/ the gas off and slowly turn up the pressure. The gas travels down the serving tube on a sanke and if you blast it w/ gas sudddenly it will stir up the bottom. Open the valve really slowly at low pressure and very gradually bring it up to 10 - 12 psi.
 
I hope it didn't go weird on you. My 2005 BW went from great to gusher last summer.
 
John did you drink some yet, or are you waiting to pair it with a Gurkha?

Zip it! You know I hate Gurkhas. Im gonna smoke it with a White Owl Grape! DUH!!!

Well, I came home and had to keg up my oaked bourbon rye IPA. And while I was at it, I decided to see if this stuff was any good at all.

It came out looking like pure foam, thick like expanding foam for insulation. I only have a 2 foot hose (10 foot hose on order). I took the first pic 5 mins after the pour. The second was about 10 mins after.

It turned out a LOT better than I thought it was going to be. No bad floaties, or infection, and it is very good. GREAT head retention, lol, and it has a great malt flavor to it. I will have to have a few more pours once I get the hose in to see if that helps with the foaming.

bw1.jpg


bw2.jpg
 
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