Storing beer in a keg: Carb or just purge?

Hope someone can suggest a course of action...

I want to age some beer in a keg, but am unsure of whether it is better to just purge the air out with CO2, or to go ahead and carb it and then store for a few months.

What is the best choice?

Thanks,
Eric

I like to carb it. That way I can periodically give the relief valve a little pull to make sure it's still pressurized. As long as there is pressure inside, nothing will get in. That being said, I don't concern myself too much with a full carb. The kegs are stored warm so as long as there is a significant pressure that's good for me. When it's time to drink it, I cool it first, purge the headspace, and then hook it up to serving pressure.

We fill a lot of kegs that are for events a month or two away. We add priming sugar, fill the keg, and pressurize it up. We like letting it naturally carb while it ages. When we're ready to serve we chill it down, purge the excess gas, and set the serving pressure. This method has worked really well for us that last few years.

Nurmey said:

We fill a lot of kegs that are for events a month or two away. We add priming sugar, fill the keg, and pressurize it up. We like letting it naturally carb while it ages. When we're ready to serve we chill it down, purge the excess gas, and set the serving pressure. This method has worked really well for us that last few years.

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+1

My Oktoberfest is in the kegs now, primed with sugar, and given a quick purge with CO2 to remove and O2. Now they'll sit in the basement until October.