long term warm keg storage

[odie]

Well I'm faced with one of my "cellar" storage freezers dying...and of course it's the big 6 pack one

Any issues with storing finished kegs at "room" temps. Say 75-80 degrees (South Texas) for an extended time? I only have 7 taps available and 15 kegs to contend with. So 8 are finished and left out in the open waiting.

By "finished" keg I mean completely fermented and fully carbed up. I have started fermenting and serving from the same keg. So no O2 issues or any other exposure to contend with. But the beer will be sitting on the yeast cake in the keg the whole time.

Some of my kegs are RIS, Dopplebocks, Tripels and Quads will be sitting from 6 months to as long as 2 years before getting tapped.

Normal stuff like Hefes, Pils, IPAs, Browns, etc may be sitting 1-6 months before drinking.

I did a lot of post searching and seems there has been some success with warm storage.

 

[VikeMan]

Any issues with storing finished kegs at "room" temps. Say 75-80 degrees (South Texas) for an extended time?

The only issue is that the beer will stale at a faster rate. You can figure that staling reactions go about 2-3 times faster for each increase of 10 degrees celcius (18F).

Let's say your keezer is at 4C (39F) and your room temp is 24C (75F). You can figure that a month at 75F will age the beer equivalent to about 4-9 months at 39F.

 

[odie]

So how's that work for all those bottled beers that sit on the shelf? Or is it the pasteurization that extends shelf life? But are not some bottled beers done with live yeast?

 

[VikeMan]

So how's that work for all those bottled beers that sit on the shelf?

They stale faster than if they were refrigerated.

Or is it the pasteurization that extends shelf life?

Pasteurization prevents spoilage organisms from taking over. It also denatures Proteinase A, which can otherwise harm foam retention. But doesn't affect staling per se.

But are not some bottled beers done with live yeast?

Sure.

 

[odie]

So your telling me I need to drink faster...LOL

 

[RM-MN]

The only issue is that the beer will stale at a faster rate. You can figure that staling reactions go about 2-3 times faster for each increase of 10 degrees celcius (18F).

Unless beer in bottles reacts differently from beer in kegs, I must like stale beer because my bottles sit at room temp for months. I have had a stout sit for 2 years and it tasted better then than it did at 1 month.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I've had beer sit in oak barrels for months, then even longer in kegs at room temperature that only got better.
I currently have a RIS and an Old Ale on tap that are each over a year old and the RIS going on two years old.
Both are awesome.

 

[VikeMan]

Unless beer in bottles reacts differently from beer in kegs, I must like stale beer because my bottles sit at room temp for months. I have had a stout sit for 2 years and it tasted better then than it did at 1 month.

There's no doubt that some beers can improve with age, but they are still staling. And they stale faster at higher temps. Some of the resulting staling compounds can even be perceived as an improvement, depending on style and personal preferences. For example, Sherry, Ribes, Caramel, and Toffee flavors often develop. In most beers, they wouldn't be welcome, but in a big stout, they might be.

 

[oakbarn]

I went to Japan for 2 1/2 months one summer. My kegerator died (in my barn in Texas). The kegs got up into the 90s. I only had one bad keg out of 7. I have stored Kegs at room temp (70) generally without issue,

 

[odie]

For "heavier" more "complex" beers I gather it's not much an issue. Like RIS, stouts, porters, quads, etc...

I'm really more concerned with for a lack of a better word, "delicate" beers...lagers, pilsner, kolsch, Vienna, oktoberfests,

English ales, saison, hefe probably fall somewhere in between.

Anyway, got 3 in the storage freezer and the rest in the coolest room in the house (75').