Brand New to Kegging

[hellsreach]

I've been brewing for a while, but this batch it the first I'll be kegging.

My plan is to rack my mocha stout over to a corny this weekend, but my keezer isnt done yet, so the stout will just sit and further clarify. The question is, if I'm storing my keg for a little bit (maybe 6 or 7 weeks), am I better off charging now or leaving it still until just before tapping?

 

[agrazela]

If by “charging” you mean putting it on the gas...

You have to at the very least seat the lid on the keg with a shot of gas. IMO you are better off going ahead and putting it on the gas to carbonate now...

BUT, what you might be best off doing is throwing a small amount of (boiled) sugar solution in the keg (like maybe 1/3 of the amount you’d need for a full natural carb), rack onto it while you still have some yeast activity, shoot 30psi to seal, purge headspace a few times, let it sit a week at room temp (to partly carb, and for the yeast to scrub oxygen), then put it on the gas until the keezer is ready.

(That’s how I do it)

 

[IslandLizard]

Carbonate it! Put it in a cool place, like a closet that shares an outside wall, or under steps, etc.

You can put a picnic tap on it and enjoy your beer while finishing the keezer. It may pour a bit foamy, but you will have good beer.

 

[BigRobb]

If you are asking whether the beer will spoil, it will if you do not seal the lid with some c02.

Either way would be fine, I will sometimes seal the lid and put the beer in the fridge to cold crash for awhile in the keg then carbonate.

Cheers

 

[Abrayton]

I just kegged a RIS, hit it with a shot of co2 and have it conditioning in the keg at room temp. Trying it for the first time since I had no room in my keezer. After pouring through info on HBT and other sources it seemed many do this with success.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

If you're not going to drink it for 6 weeks it seems pointless to have it on gas the whole time. As others said you need to add a little CO2 to pressurize it so the seals work but then just set it somewhere cool or in the fridge and it'll be fine when you're ready.

If you go that route I would check it occasionally to make sure there aren't any leaks and you're slowly losing pressure, unless you're 100% sure there aren't.

 

[4of7]

Kegs hanging out

 

[pvpeacock]

I would naturally carbonate it as suggested by agrazela while it waits its turn in the kegerator. I have aged stouts for over a year in kegs outside of my keezer with not problems. As long as the keg is sealed and you've purged the air out it or naturally carbonated it which uses up any oxygen left in the keg, you are good.

 

[mashinary]

As the others said, there's no reason to wait. It would be good to get it carbonating one way or another. Make sure you get any air out of the head space too.

 

[4of7]

keg's hanging out