Going From Bottle to Keg? Anyone try this?

I have a RIS that just never carbonated (long story, and i did try to add some yeast to each bottle - that didnt really work).

It is about two years in the bottle now and still tastes great - in fact it is matured greatly, its just pretty flat. I'd estimate its at probably 1 vol co2, maybe a little less.

I just heard that Goose Island here in Chicago is holding a RIS homebrew competition with an entry deadline of Jan 18. Not enough time to brew and age a new RIS so I was thinking, what if I cleaned and sanitized and purged a corny keg and carefully poured my old RIS into that keg and then force carbonated, and re-bottled off the keg?

Has anyone done this or something similar? crazy/stupid idea or could this work? any tips or other ideas?

Thanks,

Ok this is funny as hell. I just posted the same question. Think i will go erase mine. Thought I was the only person to think about this. I have the exact same problem. A bourbon porter that after 3 months is still not carbed at all.

It's begging for oxyidation. That's really the major issue.

1stTimer said:

Ok this is funny as hell. I just posted the same question. Think i will go erase mine. Thought I was the only person to think about this. I have the exact same problem. A bourbon porter that after 3 months is still not carbed at all.

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3 months is nothing to worry about yet. The OP's 2 years probably is!

I'm having a similar problem with a BDS, it's been I think 7-8 months and it's still pretty flat. Haven't tried re-yeasting or anything yet, I'm gonna give it some more time.

If you purge the keg ahead of time, purge it a few times along the way, and purge it really well once it's sealed up at the end, I think you should be OK... but it'll waste quite a bit of CO2.

I've reyeasted with Champagne yeast twice (well, once I helped a friend do it) successfully. The first time was a big IIPA which sucked because I lost a lot of hop presence in the four months it spent in the bottles but it carbed up in a week after adding rehydrated yeast to it. Second time a buddy did it with the same results. Just used an eyedropper and dropped a few drops in each bottle.

If you can figure out a way to pour them while limiting their exposure there's no reason it shouldn't work but oxidation is a worry in this situation.

yeah I'm thinking I'm going to give this a shot. I mean, whatd I got to lose really..

I'll purge the keg, carefully pour each bottle into the keg (right into a blanket of co2) and immediately seal and purge the heck out of it.

we will see what we get..

Let us know how this turns out. Always nice to know of another last ditch effort if necessary.

Why not uncap them, drop in a few of the little carb drops and recap? Probably wouldn't risk oxidation this way.

IffyG said:

Why not uncap them, drop in a few of the little carb drops and recap? Probably wouldn't risk oxidation this way.

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Bingo! Coopers carb tabs were exactly what I was thinkin.

I have the opposite problem, I have a batch of Fig Porters from last year that are over carb'd. I didnt factor in the level of sugar that was present fronm the figs when I went and added the priming sugar and bottled. Now you get about 2oz if your lucky when you open a bottle and wait for all the foam to finishes pouring out like a active volcano.

I had a similar issue a few weeks ago. I had a citra IPA that was overcarbed and was WAY too mango-ey for my tastes. I brewed up a simcoe IPA and mixed the two in a keg. I just chilled the citra IPA in my freezer for 4 hours or so and cracked them open into a bottling bucket. Then I mixed the simcoe IPA in there and kegged.

I'm no expert but I can't taste any oxidation and it wound up being one of my best beers yet!

So, screw what everyone else says - do what you want. Worst case scenario, it carbs up and has some oxidation. better than uncarbed RIS in my opinion.