Carbing beer to be stored at room temperature

[hirschb]

I've scoured the various forum posts, and haven't found the exact answers to my question. I'm new to kegging. I have a one line CO2 system in a converted fridge. This fridge acts as a fermentation chamber, cold crash vessel, and keg chiller/dispenser. In other words, I'm trying to do a lot with a little. So anyway, to my question:
I'd like to store and potentially carbonate some beers that have finished fermenting, which will free up fermenter space for more beer. These beers will be kegged, and then stored at room temp (about 78-79 F here in FL). I'm planning to cold crash the beer in the fermenter, keg it cold, pressurize it at 30 psi overnight (24hrs.), disconnect the CO2 line, and then store at room temp. The gas line will then be put back on whatever I'm serving on tap. I was not planning to blow off excess gas from the beer held as 30 psi overnight. If I use this method, will the beer with 24hrs. at 30 psi and stored at room temp for some weeks (will totally depend, but probably more than 2) be at anything close to full carbonation? Can anyone think of a drawback to using this method?
Thanks,

 

[dobe12]

I carb kegs warm all the time. First thing is if you are storing it at 70-80F, there's no need to cold crash the keg first. There's actually no point if you're just going to let it warm up afterwards. Just keg the beer and hook it up to the gas and let it sit for a week or so at 30psi. After a week, take the gas off and just let the keg sit until you're ready to pop it in your kegerator. When ready, put it in the fridge and let it sit for about a day to chill to serving temp. Then release the pressure and hook up the gas at your normal serving pressure (10-12psi?). You may need a day or two to balance it out, but you should have no problem.

Good luck.

 

[hirschb]

First thing is if you are storing it at 70-80F, there's no need to cold crash the keg first.

If I want to clarify the beer by cold crashing and reduce the amount of trub/yeast/sediment, that gives me a reason to cold crash!

Just keg the beer and hook it up to the gas and let it sit for a week or so at 30psi. After a week, take the gas off and just let the keg sit until you're ready to pop it in your kegerator.

I do not have two gas tanks/regulators, so if I leave the "room temp" beer hooked up to the CO2, then I cannot simultaneously serve beer in my fridge/kegerator. If I was going to keg a beer by leaving the gas line on, I'd do it to a cold keg in the fridge.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]If I use this method, will the beer with 24hrs. at 30 psi and stored at room temp for some weeks (will totally depend, but probably more than 2) be at anything close to full carbonation?

Not even close.

Can anyone think of a drawback to using this method?

Well, ^that. You'll just have to allow carbonation time when your current keg kicks...

Cheers!

 

[AnOldUR]

If you cold crash your fermenter and then keg cold and keep it cold and at 30psi for 24 hours, it will be pretty close to being carbed. If you extend that to 36 hours at 30psi and chilled (aprox 35 degrees), you'll be even closer. After that, disconnect the gas, pull it out of your fridge and store at room temperature without purging. It will stay carbed at room temperature and will actually condition faster. (That could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the length of time and beer style.)


edit:
The only problem I see here is temperature. Using one fridge for three things is not the best. Cold Crash is done just above freezing. Beer is served at around 40 degrees. Fermentation is in the 60-70 range. Doing all of these with one fridge will be a juggling act.

 

[hirschb]

If you cold crash your fermenter and then keg cold and keep it cold and at 30psi for 24 hours, it will be pretty close to being carbed. If you extend that to 36 hours at 30psi and chilled (aprox 35 degrees), you'll be even closer. After that, disconnect the gas, pull it out of your fridge and store at room temperature without purging. It will stay carbed at room temperature and will actually condition faster. (That could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the length of time and beer style.)


edit:
The only problem I see here is temperature. Using one fridge for three things is not the best. Cold Crash is done just above freezing. Beer is served at around 40 degrees. Fermentation is in the 60-70 range. Doing all of these with one fridge will be a juggling act.

THANK YOU! That is the most precise/succinct answer I could have asked for! and yes, you are right.... using one fridge for all three things is not ideal, and quite a juggling act, but is a significant step up from not having anything. I'm able to plan ahead enough, and I go out of town with enough frequency that I'll be able to use my limited equipment to something close to full capacity. Thanks for the super-helpful reply.

 

[rman18]

I'm new to kegging but I think you can add some priming sugar, purge the o2 and add 30psi CO2 and let it condition at room temperature.