Kegging a beer that needs to age...

When making higher gravity beers that need to age, like a Belgian Triple, when do you put the beer in the keg? Do you age it in secondary, or put it in the keg with 10# of CO2 and age it there?

Thanks,
Brad

3-4 weeks in primary and then into keg for me.

doesnt the aging process take a good bit longer once its cold? Could you just hit it with enough co2 to seal the lid and leave it? Or would the beer just absorb the co2

samc said:

3-4 weeks in primary and then into keg for me.

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Do you need to pressurize the keg? And if so, how much pressure, and can you pressurize it and remove the CO2 bottle and leave it sit for a couple of months? Or will it eventually leak off?

Thanks,
Brad

bradneal said:

Do you need to pressurize the keg? And if so, how much pressure, and can you pressurize it and remove the CO2 bottle and leave it sit for a couple of months? Or will it eventually leak off?

Thanks,
Brad

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I pressurize to get a good seal and purge the headspace. All my beers that age in kegs create a little pressure on their own as they are still giving off a little CO2. As long as the keg is sealed good so no O2 can get in, I think you can age for a good long time in a keg.

**edit** I usually hit the keg with about 30lbs to seal. Then purge a few times.

lschiavo said:

I pressurize to get a good seal and purge the headspace. All my beers that age in kegs create a little pressure on their own as they are still giving off a little CO2. As long as the keg is sealed good so no O2 can get in, I think you can age for a good long time in a keg.

**edit** I usually hit the keg with about 30lbs to seal. Then purge a few times.

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When you purge, do you completely dump all pressure, or just kind of burp it a few times and leave some pressure in the keg?

Thanks,
Brad

I think it's important to note that aging a beer in a keg only works when you have a keg with good seals. Another poster mentioned that the beer will give off CO2 during againg and he's right. But you still should check it every so often throughout aging to make sure you didn't leak out all the pressure. I usually just push down on the corney lid with my thumbs. If you can move it even slightly, then there's less that 30 psi in there.

I actually thought about maybe picking up one of those small 20oz Paintball CO2 bottles to use on a keg or two that are still conditioning.

bradneal said:

When you purge, do you completely dump all pressure, or just kind of burp it a few times and leave some pressure in the keg?

Thanks,
Brad

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I usually bleed it fully a few times to get out the O2 then leave some pressure in to store it (not the full 30psi). I usually check the kegs every week or so for pressure by just pulling the relief valve quick. As long as they are holding pressure, nothing should be getting in.

bradneal said:

I actually thought about maybe picking up one of those small 20oz Paintball CO2 bottles to use on a keg or two that are still conditioning.

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You could. But think about aging in a secondary, there is no applied pressure there. As long as you keep the oxygen away, which the beer will naturally do itself, you will be fine.

I'd hit it with c02 every few days to make sure the lid stays seated. You can buy silicone o-rings for the lid (just get the same size in silicone from mcmaster carr) that will seal much better with low or no pressure against them. You can also get it cold, carbonate it, and then warm it back up to age at cellar temp.

Silicone is much more O2 permeable than rubber; for aging, I'd lean towards rubber seals unless it's a sour or heavily oaked or something else where you want some oxygen transfer.

I age at room temp all the time in the keg. Hit it with 30 PSI, burp a few times to flush out oxygen, let it settle at 30 PSI again, disconnect and stick it somewhere where you'll forget about it. The most I've gone is about 3 months with this method, (due to impatience, nothing else), and after 3 months there is still pressure inside, so all's well.

shortyjacobs said:

I age at room temp all the time in the keg. Hit it with 30 PSI, burp a few times to flush out oxygen, let it settle at 30 PSI again, disconnect and stick it somewhere where you'll forget about it. The most I've gone is about 3 months with this method, (due to impatience, nothing else), and after 3 months there is still pressure inside, so all's well.

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I do this as well. Generally not because I'm deliberately aging the beer, but because my keezer is full. 2-3 months is no problem. If I were going to age a beer a long time, I would probably bottle it - partly because there beers are usually stronger and will be drunk more slowly and I don't want to fill one of my taps with a beer that may take months to finish.

I'm another that ages in the keg. The longest I have aged in the keg was 8 months and had no problems. I do check the pressure ever so often just to make sure I have no leaks.

So after letting it sit in the cellar at 30psi for a month or two, and you want to serve it, what then? Just purge it, tap it, and set it to serving pressure?

That sounds almost too simple - lol

I age my meads in kegs so that is semi similar. I put mine in kegs when it is clear and I can begin to taste that the beverage is on its way to be good. Then I sanitize and purge a keg with CO2 and rack the beverage in. I then hit it with 3-4 psi to seal and store it where all of my other things are aging.

shortyjacobs said:

I age at room temp all the time in the keg. Hit it with 30 PSI, burp a few times to flush out oxygen, let it settle at 30 PSI again, disconnect and stick it somewhere where you'll forget about it. The most I've gone is about 3 months with this method, (due to impatience, nothing else), and after 3 months there is still pressure inside, so all's well.

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Do you add priming sugar or just chill and force carbonate when your ready to drink?

Thanks for the feedback everyone. You have all been most helpful. Since I want to let the triple sit for about 3 months, I think I'll go with letting it sit in the secondary until I'm ready to keg and tap.

Thanks again,
Brad

seabrew8 said:

Do you add priming sugar or just chill and force carbonate when your ready to drink?

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I haven't done the priming sugar route yet, cuz I'm too lazy. I either hit with 30 PSI and let it sit warm and flat in my basement, or if I have space I'll chill and force carb, then stick it in my basement til I need it.

I don't think it matters when you carb...it'll age about the same with or without carbonation...