Aging Kolsch and Altbiers

[jmf143]

Are these beers racked to secondary prior to aging at cold temps, or can they be kegged and aged in the keg? If kegging before aging, is the keg left on the co2?

 

[Brewmech]

I condition mine in primary in the fridge. Takes about 6 weeks for the yeast to drop out (depending on the yeast), sometimes sooner. Racking to a keg or secondary and getting it off the yeast would probably expedite that by a couple weeks or so. I wait till it clears to keg it so I don't have a bunch of sludge in the bottom of the keg. If it's in the keg it should have some CO2 to protect the beer from oxidation, but not necessary to fully carbonate it if you don't want to right away. If you do carbonate it, so what? Not gonna matter either way.

 

[Bulls Beers]

I'll leave my Kolsch in the primary for one month. I'll rack to a keg and blast the headspace with 30psi then purge. I'll crash cool for a month or until I have an open space in the kegerator..Usually a month.

 

[Yooper]

I keep them in the primary until they are done, and clear- usually at about 10-14 days. Then I keg them, and cold condition them in the keg on the gas until consuming. Both are pretty good with 3 weeks of cold conditioning.