Storing Full Kegs For Later Use

I'm looking to store multiple kegs of varying styles for longer than 5 months. The plan so far is to carbonate the kegs, depressurize um', and allow them to sit refrigerated for the time until they get hooked back up for dispensing in August.

Whaddya' think?

Why depressurize?

Obviously some styles will suffer after five months of aging, while others will shine, but on the whole there's absolutely nothing wrong with what you're describing.

I would leave them pressurized to a few psi just to keep them sealed. But other then that there is nothing wrong with your plan.

For some reason I was thinking the extra Co2 in the keg headspace would affect the beer negatively. Just a thought, no backing behind it.

So don't depressurize?

Don't depressurize.

Treat it like you would a bottle. Don't de-pressurize.

I like priming in the kegs too; that way when they are ready to go on tap they're already carbed up. You just vent 'em a little so you don't get back-pressure, hook them up, and pitch the first pint or two that you draw.

I usually hit my kegs with 30psi, vent once, hit again, then leave them for a month or so in the basement.

+1000 to not depressureizing!! if anything put them somewhere that the temps dont swing much like a basement... if you carb them and depressurize they will just equilize and become less carbonated from where you started!

I also want to do the same but I don't have a big enough fridge so I will keep them in a cool room any idea of the shelf life?

it really depends on the type of beer BeerMbob. You really don't want that super-late-hopped, extra dry-hopped IPA sitting around for 6 months as quite a bit of the aroma will taper off by then. However that double-chocolate chicory malt or triple IPA could benefit from being stashed away for that long before it's even considered.

I only have two taps so I'm forever keg priming and leaving them in the basement for at least 30-45 days.

I've gotten into the habit of double dry-hopping my beers. I will do the normal dry hop in the carboy, then prime and keg. When the keg goes into the fridge for clearing (about a week before I tap) I drop a bag of hops in it as well.

Hay thanks Scott for being helpful and explainitry. Yes I see what you mean about keeping the big beers a good amount of time.
I have noticed that the hop flavor subsides! So it sounds like I need to drink them faster

So after carbonating with Co2 and not depressurizing, you would recommend letting the kegs sit in a basement...so refrigeration isn't necessary?

FungusBrew said:

So after carbonating with Co2 and not depressurizing, you would recommend letting the kegs sit in a basement...so refrigeration isn't necessary?

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Exactly. Once carbonated, treat it like a giant bottle of beer. Try to keep it somewhere without drastic temp swings. Other than that, you're fine.

Well, everyone already helped fungus brew out. I do this every year. I brew from Labor day till Patriots Day. I brew like a fiend in late winter and early spring. I do not brew in summer. Summers are too short and every free moment is spent on my boat, swimming, skiing, fishing, whatever. That and the damn lawn needs so much attention. So I will lay up a bunch of beer as described pressurized in the basement for the summer. I recarb and refrigerate 1 week before going into the kegerator. Right now I have 9 batches in primary or secondary with two more to brew before I quit for the year. Two on tap, two in kegs in the fridge on deck. I'll be busy till mother's day or so finishing up and kegging these. I need to drink the two on tap up before the last two go in or I dont have enough keg space. I'll manage. Gotta force myself I guess.

This beer has to carry me till halloween. Well, October, when my first fall brews will be ready to drink. I might have to ration the SWMBO to be sure I have enough....

So if I wanted to store for an extended period and I force carb would it be better to fully carb and let sit or just add a bit of pressure to set the lid and then carb when I'm ready to drink?

ScottSingleton said:

When the keg goes into the fridge for clearing (about a week before I tap) I drop a bag of hops in it as well.

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I have a keg of IPA that has been around awhile and will probably need to be re-dry hopped. Do you just drop the bag in and your good to go? I guess you use pellets, there's no floaties or cloudieness?

I found this tip here on the forums here a while back. I use a sanitized hop sack with a sanitized stainless washer. I then suspend this bag just off the bottom of the keg with a thin strand of unwashed unflavored dental floss which is tied to the keg lid.

This keeps the bag from getting near the end of the dip tube and clogging it up.

If your beer is already cared up you have to do this damn quick as adding the bag of pellets will create millions of nuclear ion sites for the gas and cause it to bubble over quickly. Per measure everything, tie it up, toss it in, and quickly seal it, the hit with 30 psi of CO2. Let it sit at room temp for an hour before venting and hooking back to the kegerator

Thanks!

Man my auto-correct on the iPad really toasted that previous message. I hope you got the gist of it

LOL I figured it out.
And you do use pellets?