Bulk aging in corny

[urg8rb8]

I put enough CO2 to purge and seal the keg. However, should I carb the beer? Or only carb when it's ready to serve?

 

[Hillbillyreefer]

Might as well carb it at the same time its aging.

 

[ba-brewer]

The pressure you put on the keg to seal it will get absorbed into the beer and the keg will eventually settle out at some lower pressure then the pressure you first put on it. Depending on your keg that value maybe too low to hold a seal. I would just put it on constant pressure and let it carb while it ages. That is what I do to beer that I lager.

 

[urg8rb8]

I forgot to mention that I am also aging the beer with oak cubes. Would I be wasting CO2 if I let it carb then transferring the beer off the cubes into another keg?

 

[ba-brewer]

If you do a closed system low pressure transfer the CO2 will stay in solution.

 

[Braufessor]

If I am going to transfer to a serving keg, I don't carbonate it. If I am going to serve out of the keg I am aging in then I will carb it.

 

[Chrisl77]

In the future sanitize a paint strainer bag put the cubes in it and tie it off with a piece of dental floss. Run the floss out the side of the lid and let it get pinched in the seal. The floss will not break the seal when your ready to remove the cubes just depressurize the keg, take the lid off and remove the bag.

 

[urg8rb8]

I've been aging with the cubes for like 4.5 months now. I'll probably wait until the 6 month mark to transfer the beer off the cubes into another keg.

Right now I am tasting lots of oak with flavors of cinnamon and spice. Hopefully leaving it longer will create more depth and flavor complexity. This is a barleywine.

Thanks for the idea of using a strainer and floss!