Conditioning question..

Ok I have a fridge large enough for a single keg and CO2 tank. My goal is to have a keg ready for consumption for every weekend, I can deal with no home brew on weekdays. If I leave my beer in primary for a week and an extended 3 week secondary would force carbing the keg early in the week provide good beer to drink on the weekend or will it still taste green? I noticed that on the force carbing I thought of just priming the kegs but I kind of hate to get the yeast going and extending the time till its ready to be consumed. If it helps I have 3 cornies so that shouldn't be an issue.

I don't see also why I couldn't just use my cornies as secondary's, maybe do a 2 week primary to make sure all CO2 gassing has subsided then rack to the keg and wait another 2 weeks or so before force carbing. Worst thing I could see happening is that a glass or two would be wasted by sediment not caught in the primary's trub.

Hope you can help with this info.

Whether you force carb, or prime and carb naturally, the beer still will taste "green" until it's got a little bit of age on it. Green beer is still green beer, no matter how it's carbonated. Force carbing isn't a substitute for time.

I usually keep my beers 3-4 weeks in the primary, then keg them. When there's a open tap, I stick it in the kegerator. Usually the beer is pretty good within 6 weeks of brewday, depending on what type it is. Some beers are good early (see our 10der and mild thread- grain to glass in 10 days) but even those will improve with a little time.

I'd probably keep in primary longer, then keg and try to keep my hands off of it for a week or two, then carb it up. It works fine to secondary in the keg, but it makes it pretty easy to drink it early!

I guess my question is whether beer in a keg requires any time aging under carbonation. I have no problem with a 3 week primary then a 3 week "secondary" in a keg once my pipeline is going, I'm just wondering if I can get away with force carbing the 6 week old beer say starting on a Monday and having good beer on Friday night.

zanemoseley said:

I guess my question is whether beer in a keg requires any time aging under carbonation. I have no problem with a 3 week primary then a 3 week "secondary" in a keg once my pipeline is going, I'm just wondering if I can get away with force carbing the 6 week old beer say starting on a Monday and having good beer on Friday night.

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No, there is no time required to age with carbonation vs not carbed. The only caution I would have with quick carbing is that sometimes you get a carbonic acid "bite" from quick carbing. It needs a little bit of time to mellow. A few days would be fine, though.