Aging question using kegs

[nyer]

When you keg your beer do you let it age like you would in a bottle? I kegged my first batch and force carbed it. The next day I started drinking it. Should I be aging it in the keg?

 

[bradsul]

Yes you definitely need to age your beer. Fast carbonating green beer just gives you carbonated green beer. Just think of a keg as one large bottle - the same patience applies.

 

[sirsloop]

I have 8 kegs... so I keep them filled up, put a little sugar in there, hit it with CO2 to set the seal, and put it in my closet for a few months.

 

[nyer]

A few months!! I could never do that. I thought the beer tasted pretty could the day after I kegged it. I'm going to have to brew more and get a few finished and aging I guess.

 

[cnoyes]

So previously, I would do 1 week primary, 2 weeks secondary, and 3 weeks in bottles. If you're kegging and force carbing, how many weeks in secondary will get the same results? 2?

 

[bradsul]

6 weeks is 6 weeks. You can speed up carbing, you can't speed up aging. You could do 4 weeks in secondary and then force carb in a week. It doesn't really matter how you split up the time. Do 5 weeks in primary and then go to keg if you like.

 

[BierMuncher]

When you keg your beer do you let it age like you would in a bottle? I kegged my first batch and force carbed it. The next day I started drinking it. Should I be aging it in the keg?

A lot depends on the recipe and how long it sat in fermenters.

A lot of my lighter beers can go from grain to glass in 2-3 weeks.

My APA’s and heavier beers (stouts, porters, etc…) will need additional time.

There really is no blanket answer on conditioning. It is as unique to a recipe as the hops additions.

 

[Germey]

A few months!! I could never do that. I thought the beer tasted pretty could the day after I kegged it. I'm going to have to brew more and get a few finished and aging I guess.

If it's good, it's good! If your last pint make you say, "boy, I wish I had waited" well, lesson learned. I also don't have much patience, but a lot of my beers have a lot of late hops/ dry hops, and I enjoy the green as much as the aged.

 

[cnoyes]

6 weeks is 6 weeks. You can speed up carbing, you can't speed up aging. You could do 4 weeks in secondary and then force carb in a week. It doesn't really matter how you split up the time. Do 5 weeks in primary and then go to keg if you like.

My understanding was that you need to wait 3 weeks after priming because you added sugar, essentially starting the fermentation process over. Not true?

 

[bradsul]

My understanding was that you need to wait 3 weeks after priming because you added sugar, essentially starting the fermentation process over. Not true?

That is true if you naturally carbonate (as I do), it's not any faster than when you bottle. If you force carbonate (just put the keg under pressure and leave it to infuse with CO2) it takes about a week at normal serving temperature.

 

[david_42]

Bottom line: it takes as long to condition in a keg as it does in a bottle, whether you force carbonate or use sugar.