Add More Beer to Already Filled Keg?

[AlexKay]

Maybe I'm overthinking this.

I have a full fermenter (blueberry Kolsch, if it matters) ready to keg. I have a partially filled keg of the same exact beer. It still tastes good; better, probably, than when it was new. The keg (3 gallons) is bigger than the batch size (2-2.5 gallons), so I think it has room for both the old and new beer.

So, should I

1. rack the new beer directly on top of the old, and skip any cleaning or sanitizing of the keg?
2. clean and sanitize new keg, keg new beer, pour old beer on top until keg is full? (Or pour old beer into new keg, then rack new beer on top.)
3. dispose of the old beer, keg new beer as normal?

I'm leaning towards #2. #1 seems too easy. "Disposing" in #3 probably means throwing out instead of drinking, as I'm running short on kegs.

 

[wsmith1625]

If you're looking to save work, #1 would be the best option. If you're going to clean and sanitize a new keg, I see no reason not to do step #3. Step #2 makes the least sense because you're already doing the work cleaning, sanitizing, and racking to a new keg so why bother introducing the old beer.

 

[mac_1103]

Blending the new with the old is a time-honored tradition in brewing.

 

[AlexKay]

If you're looking to save work, #1 would be the best option. If you're going to clean and sanitize a new keg, I see no reason not to do step #3. Step #2 makes the least sense because you're already doing the work cleaning, sanitizing, and racking to a new keg so why bother introducing the old beer.

I'm also looking to save the beer! #2 does that, but not #3...

 

[wsmith1625]

I'm also looking to save the beer! #2 does that, but not #3...

I wasn't suggesting you waste the beer in your current keg. I would finish it and swap with the new keg of beer. But like I said, why not rack onto your current keg instead of racking to a new keg? I believe @mac_1103 was also supporting option #1.

 

[mac_1103]

I'd support either #1 or #2. I'd probably go with #2 myself just because I'm somewhat obsessive about sanitation, but I really don't see a good argument against #1.

 

[wsmith1625]

Options #1 or #2 are fine, but a new sanitized key will have little effect if the beer in the old keg is already contaminated. He would just be transferring the contamination to another keg.

 

[wsmith1625]

I just ready step #3 again and see why you though I was suggesting you waste your beer. I dispose of beer by drinking it. LOL

 

[tracer bullet]

Hmm, you have older, tastier beer. And you have fresh beer that is assumedly less tasty.

Finish the 1st tasty keg off while the 2nd one sits off to the side to age.

Seems like mixing just gets you a lot of less tasty beer.

 

[eliastheodosis]

My knee jerk reaction is to say #2 because of sanitation concerns, but my answer is #1. The way I see it there isn't much of a difference between #2 and #1 here. If either beer has a high level of contamination then either of the first two options is doomed to fail anyway. I say trust your process when you cleaned and sanitized the original keg. Blend the new into the old and RDWHAHB. That's coming from someone that is generally very unrelaxed about sanitation.

 

[Broken Crow]

Would it be inappropriate to sugest option #4/ Buy another keg? I'm not sure what the price is like in the US, but they've got the new kegland rubber-handled cornys at a decent price here, and I've been kinda impressed with them. (I still love my AEB's more, but have only good things to say about the keglands)

 

[mac_1103]

One man's "decent price" is another man's "my wife is going to kill me."

 

[eliastheodosis]

Also, I was going to joke that Alex might need an intervention before he needs another keg. I've got no room to judge, though. And a new keg would solve this specific problem

 

[AlexKay]

I have somewhere between 40 and 50 kegs already. Almost all of them are now full.

Regardless, I will probably buy more at some point. My threshold to pull out my credit card is when the price goes under $100US.

 

[day_trippr]

I have somewhere between 40 and 50 kegs already. Almost all of them are now full.

"There is a disturbance in The Force"

I do have to wonder why someone with any "un-full" kegs is even asking such a question in public - as the obvious answer in that case is "Get off your lazy ass, sanitize an empty keg, put your "not as good as aged" beer in there, and let it sit until it's "aged" enough like the batch you're still drinking".

Cheers! (And, "Sheesh, wth? Is there a full moon tonight?" )

 

[eliastheodosis]

(And, "Sheesh, wth? Is there a full moon tonight?" )

Leave us alone for a day or two and this is what you get... Posts about life regrets and

 

[AlexKay]

"There is a disturbance in The Force"

I do have to wonder why someone with any "un-full" kegs is even asking such a question in public - as the obvious answer in that case is "Get off your lazy ass, sanitize an empty keg, put your "not as good as aged" beer in there, and let it sit until it's "aged" enough like the batch you're still drinking".

Cheers! (And, "Sheesh, wth? Is there a full moon tonight?" )

I did in fact use an open keg.

But um … yeah. Don’t worry about the DWHAHB part, ok? I have a few open kegs. Nothing stays open for long, though, so filling an extra keg now means dumping an extra beer later. Later, as in, within a week or two. The pipeline has no mercy.

 

[superiorsat]

You obviously have a gallon or less of old beer in your keg. If you have 40 or 50 kegs and most are full I would imagine you have growlers sitting around. So either spend a night or 2 drinking the rest of the keg or fill growlers and drink in a timely fashion or give away to friends or family. Been down this road many times with the pipeline dilemma but dumping beer was never an option.

 

[JohnDBrewer]

A Kolsch is best when it is fresh. However with blueberry, May not matter.

I would go with #2, compare the fresh and old beers side-by-side, there could be a difference. If you do not perceive a difference, go ahead and mix them to free up a keg. If there is a difference, you've preserved the better of the two, and know what to on the next batch.

 

[redrocker652002]

Hmm, you have older, tastier beer. And you have fresh beer that is assumedly less tasty.

Finish the 1st tasty keg off while the 2nd one sits off to the side to age.

Seems like mixing just gets you a lot of less tasty beer.

I was thinking the same thing. I have inadvertently left a batch or two in my bucket fermenter for a week or two longer than I wanted. All research I have done says, in most cases, it is ok to leave it in the fermenter for a bit longer if needed. I say if you dig the beer in the keg now, enjoy that. When it runs out, you can clean, sanitize and rack your new beer in it. Seems you are saying the old beer got better with age anyway. But, remember, I am in no way a pro. At best a weekend warrior, so take that for what it is worth, Oh yea, and Rock On!!!!!!!!

 

[redrocker652002]

I have somewhere between 40 and 50 kegs already. Almost all of them are now full.

Regardless, I will probably buy more at some point. My threshold to pull out my credit card is when the price goes under $100US.

OK, so you have 40 or 50 full kegs and you are concerned about one? Dang, I wish I had your problems. LOL. I have one that I am still trying to figure out a good rotation to keep it filled without any lag time. Rock On!!!! By the way, where are you located, maybe I can grab a few friends and come by and fix your dilemma. LOL. Just messing, good luck in your decision

 

[redrocker652002]

One man's "decent price" is another man's "my wife is going to kill me."

AMEN TO THAT!!!!!!!! LOL

 

[bwible]

I have somewhere between 40 and 50 kegs already. Almost all of them are now full.

Regardless, I will probably buy more at some point. My threshold to pull out my credit card is when the price goes under $100US.

Oh yeah, you’re the lucky guy who has 7 or 8 chest freezers in his garage. I envy that but wow you must really have some electric bill.

 

[AlexKay]

Oh yeah, you’re the lucky guy who has 7 or 8 chest freezers in his garage. I envy that but wow you must really have some electric bill.

Freezers are pretty low energy use. $20-50/year for the freezers that are cold, but much less for the fermentation chambers that stay between 50-70 F. Add it all up and it's still less than a single electric range.

It's also cheaper, by 3 orders of magnitude, than quitting my job and opening a nanobrewery. Which will probably happen at some point. All of which is to say, this hobby has never been about what's financially sensible.