Can I use a keg with no way to cool it?

[socal2009]

A brewing friend of mine generously bought me a complete corny keg kit as a present, only problem is I have nowhere I can put a keg to chill it. I continuously scan CL for cheap chest freezers, but I don't have any immediate plans to acquire one and am not sure I could even fit one in the house now (2 story townhouse with no basement/garage). No room in the main fridge for a 5 gal keg (or any size keg, for that matter)

Is it possible to keg at room temps and then dispense it into a container (I have a 1 gal carlo rossi jug in lieu of growler), put that in the fridge and then drink it? Anyone have any experience with this ghetto method?

I'm not going down the road of putting it in a big bucket of ice since I'm thinking semi-long term solutions here, not something for a party or the weekend, and I'm not going to continuously worry about changing a tub of ice (plus no way SWMBO would buy off on that plan).

 

[jhoyda]

Craigslist mini-fridge. Surely, you can find somewhere to put that.

Dispensing beer into a one gallon jug and refrigerating kind of defeats the purpose of kegging: convenience.

 

[chickypad]

I don't know that you'll be able to control the foaming trying to package it warm. At room temp you need like 30psi for a proper carb level.

 

[isurf]

Since you told all the things you can't and wont do your only option is to pay it forward. Some one else on this site might be able to locate a mini frige and 4 square feet.

 

[dyqik]

Another possibility is to sell on the 5 gallon keg, and get a 3 or 2.5 gallon keg to replace it, which would fit in an unmodified fridge more easily.

You could also use the CO2 system with carbonator caps to carbonate beer in soda bottle and keep those in the fridge.

 

[ericbw]

Sounds like the gift was nice, but not very useful.

 

[shoreman]

How cold is your basement? In winter I can just have my kegs at cellar temp no problem.

 

[shoreman]

Sorry just read no basement - what about a porch? Just naturally carb it with sugar

 

[ChrisMT]

Just hold on to it and continue to bottle. I have a 3gal keg but I only use it during camping trips in the summer, just brew a batch a couple weeks before and keg it. All my other brews get bottled.

 

[ThreeSheetsBrewing]

Don't forget you can always bulk condition or ferment in the kegs also. You may not be able to dispense from them yet, but it sounds like a great gift!

 

[SupervisingChildren]

I use a jockey box to dispense. Beer is at room temp in my basement, but serves cold beer. It works for me. Eventually I'll build a keezer, but I know the jockey box works for camping and parties so I think it was a worthwhile investment.

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